Til you wake up
by cherry fantasy
Summary: /COMPLETE with epilogue//AU fic/ InuYasha is severely injured in a car accident and is now in a coma. As his brother and his friends try to deal with it, one question remains : will their hanyou ever wake up ? /InuKag, MirSan/
1. Prologue

Disclaimer : I don't own InuYasha or any InuYasha characters. (Duh... You knew that already !)

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**Author's note : Hi everyone ! This is my second fic so far, I think I'm starting to get it right ! Oh, and I have an IMPORTANT warning for you ; I received some comments on it in my first fic (don't get the wrong idea, I'm not angry at anyone!),so I rather tell you right now : english is only my _second_ language. Don't worry, I'm not that bad, but you may notice some little mistakes here and there. If you do, please forgive me, I'm really trying my best ! Anyway, aside to that, nothing should bother you too much... Well, let's go with the story !**

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_'Til you wake up_

**Prologue**

The doctor entered the waiting room. She was an old woman short in height, with long grey hair elegantly tied up and experienced blue eyes. Sighing, she took a look at the report she was holding. She hated that part of her job...

She took a circular glance at the room and called :

- Mr. Sesshomaru Takahashi ?

At her left, a man jolted on his feet and came toward her. A tall man, well built, wearing expensive black pants and a white shirt. He had long white hair and beautiful golden eyes, while on each of his cheekbones were two red lines... _"I see" _the doctor realized, _"He's no man, he's a youkai." _Demons weren't that numerous compared to humans, but it wasn't surprising to see one here and there. The modern society had accepted their existence a few decades ago, allowing them to live freely among humans, just as long as they weren't hurting or killing anyone. At first, it had been quite uncomfortable, but with time demons and humans alike had become use to it. Of course there was still some youkai that were causing problems, but humans weren't _all_ peaceful either...

The demon finally stopped before her, asking hastily :

- So, will he be alright ?

He was doing a wonderful job at keeping his expression cold and emotionless, but you could clearly hear anxiety in his voice. The doctor sighed again. She knew that this would be the first question to be asked. Acting professionally, she answered with a calm voice :

- First, let me present myself. I'm Dr Kaede Toriyama.

He gave her a polite nod, but she was no fool ; she knew that inwardly, he was cursing her for not answering his question right away. She then noticed that a small group of people had rejoined him, waiting silently behind his back. There was a girl with long black hair and brown eyes, wearing her white and green school uniform. She looked worried and afraid, and it was obvious that she had cried. There was two other persons beside her ; the first was another girl with her brown hair tied up in a high ponytail. She had on blue jeans and a pink shirt, and she was holding the hand of the third person, who happened to be a guy. He had short black hair with a tiny ponytail behind his neck, brown eyes and he was wearing black jeans with a purple T-shirt. Both of them seemed worried to death, gripping each other's hand like it was their life line.

Kaede turned her attention back to Sesshomaru when he asked almost menacingly :

- Doctor, I want to know how my brother is.

Well, let's get going, Kaede thought ironically. Checking her report, she told him :

- You're Mr. Takahashi's older brother and his legal tutor, right ? (He sharply nodded) Fine. (She took a more gentle tone) Well, we just got him out of the operating room, and his general condition is stable. I'm pretty sure his life isn't in danger anymore.

The relief on their faces was so great that she felt horrible about what she had to say next :

- However, we've had some... complications.

Their happiness vanished in a second. Slowly, Sesshomaru asked :

- What kind of _complications_ ?

- Mr. Takahashi, I'm afraid that... Inu-Yasha fell in a coma. I'm sorry...

The emotionless mask on Sesshomaru's features disappeared, as what he had just heard begun to register in his mind. Closing his eyes, he held his forehead with one hand, looking completely broken. The girl with the school uniform fell on her knees and started to cry desperately. The other girl buried her face in the boy's T-shirt and begun to cry as well. The young man tried to recomfort her, but he himself seemed totally crushed by the bad news.

Yeah, she really hated that part of her job...

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**A/N : Okay, so now you know what the main plot is gonna be about. Hope you like it...**

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	2. Kagome's painful memories, part 1

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**Author's note : **You must know that there won't be a lot of action in this fic. It's more thinking and less killing, see what I mean ? Anyway, I just wanted to warn you before you got too far in your reading. For those who want to continue, well, let's get going !

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**Chapter one : Kagome's painful memories, part 1**

**Kagome's POV**

Kagome entered the hospital room with a small bouquet of flowers in her hands. She went to the bedside table, removed the old flowers from their vase and put the new ones in. She threw the others in the trash and sat on a chair beside the bed. The room was dark except for a little lamp that only emited a dim light. But Kagome could still see him perfectly...

Inu-Yasha. Her boyfriend. Her lover. The sun of her life. He was lying on the bed, many tubes connected to him by little needles stuck in his arms, a mask on his face to provide him oxygen. Machines and glowing screens were placed around the bed, checking Inu-Yasha's tension, his pulse, his heartbeats, and tons of other things she didn't know about. Taking a good look at him, Kagome thought : _"He looks so fragile like that..." _Inu-Yasha was thinner and paler, his long silver hair scattered on his pillow, his little doggy ears flattened on the top of his head.

Inu-Yasha was a hanyou. A half-demon. His father was demon and his mother was human. But they were both dead now. It had happened a long time ago, when he was still a pup. He had an older brother, though. Sesshomaru was reputed to be a cold-hearted and merciless person, but it wasn't true. Well, not really... He was a bit cold and stiff, but Kagome was one of the very rare persons that had been allowed to see his true self. In fact, Sesshomaru was much more caring that it seemed. It's just that he wasn't showing it. And Kagome thought she knew why : because of his one and only soft spot... Inu-Yasha.

Sesshomaru and Inu-Yasha were in fact half-brothers. Sesshomaru's mother had been M. Takahashi's first wife, and she had abandoned them when Sesshomaru was 4 years old. Later, his father had married Inu-Yasha's mother, and then the little hanyou had made his appearance. Sesshomaru had always been very protective of his younger brother, and they had a wonderful relationship. But then their parents had died, and the older brother was forced to grow up a lot faster than normal kids. He had taken care of Inu-Yasha, and when he had reached his majority, had become his legal tutor. They were very close. Sure they were always bickering and arguing, but Kagome knew better. And the reason why Sesshomaru was so serious was because he had to be strong for the both of them. Being the elder, he had thought that it was his responsability.

But since Inu-Yasha was here, Sesshomaru had become even more withdrawn, barely talking to anyone. He was doing his job, going home, eating, sleeping, and then all over again... He had locked himself up in his routine, trying to act normal, trying to forget... that his little brother was in a coma.

Kagome looked at Inu-Yasha again. Ten months. Ten months that he had been like this, sleeping, dead to the rest of the world... Ten months in a coma. Ten months since that horrible accident...

She closed her eyes, shivering. Even now, she remembered that day, as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. She was still making nightmares about it... The car... Inu-Yasha covered in blood... the ambulance... Slowly, her mind drifted back to the memory of that day... The day when she had lost the sun of her life...

_o0 Flashback 0o _

- Miroku ! HENTAI !

_SLAP_ ! Miroku rubbed his red cheek, saying with a remorseful tone :

- Sorry, Sango, I just wanted to help you on your seat, since you're the one holding both of our ice-creams.

- I can perfectly sit by myself without your wandering hand on my butt, thank you !

Sango then turned back to Kagome and said happily :

- OK, Kag, you can give me back our ice-cream cones, now.

The girl nodded with an amused smile and did as told.

Her, Sango, Miroku and Inu-Yasha were in a small pub that was serving ice-creams, and since it was awfully hot outside, they had decided to come and make themselves a treat. They sat around a table, Miroku still rubbing his cheek while Sango was giving him his cone with an evil smile. Inu-Yasha grinned and said :

- Miroku, I can't believe you're still trying that ! Don't you get tired of being slapped, lecher ?

Miroku gave an exaggerated sigh and retorted :

- Ah, my dear friend, know that it's worth the pain !

Sango snorted and Kagome giggled. In fact, Sango and Miroku were going out together. They were really something to be around, but they were very nice and made wonderful friends. And then, there was Inu-Yasha, of course...

They were together too, now. It would make one month in three days. Kagome had been the happiest girl alive when the hanyou had finally asked her to be his girlfriend. She had a huge crush on him since primary school, but when he had started to go out with that Kikyo girl, she had thought all her chances gone... But their relation hadn't even lasted a week. And the week after that, Inu-Yasha had come to see her, telling her that he had always wanted to go out with her but that he wasn't sure if she wanted too, and he hadn't had the courage to ask her. Kikyo had wanted to be his girlfriend and he had said yes only because she looked like Kagome. But then he had realized how stupid it was and he had broke up with Kikyo.

He had looked at Kagome with his oh-so-cute puppy pout and she had smiled at him and said that she would be very happy to be with him. And so they had, quickly falling in love with each other. Now they were inseparable. Their best friends Miroku and Sango had been very happy for them, saying that they knew all along that _«you two would end up together !»_. Miroku and Inu-Yasha were friends since nursery school, and Kagome and Sango had met when they had entered high-school. The four companions were very close now and would share almost everything together, even the stubborn and arrogant Inu-Yasha.

Inu-Yasha had always been like that, with his proud attitude and his undisciplined behaviour. But Kagome, Miroku and Sango knew that he wasn't really that rough. Deep down, Inu-Yasha was a very generous person, brave and loyal, always there for his friends if they needed him. He had proved it more than enough times.

- So, what movie are we gonna see again ? asked Sango.

- I think it's "Freaky Friday", answered Kagome.

Miroku looked at his watch and asked Inu-Yasha :

- When your brother is he gonna be here ?

- Well... right now ! Inu-Yasha said while looking at the window.

They all turned their gazes in the same direction to see Sesshomaru's car parked at the other side of the road, just before a baker's shop. There was no parking space before the little pub they were in, so he had to wait for them there. His shiny black BMW was making a big impression compared to the other simple cars beside it.

- We better go now if we don't want him to come and get us himself, mumbled Inu-Yasha.

They all agreed. Sesshomaru wasn't someone who liked to wait, and he was really scary when he was in a hurry and that you were slowing him down. He was the vice-president of a huge security firm, and totally loaded, which was also making Inu-Yasha a very rich teenager. Sesshomaru had been working hard to obtain what he had, wanting to give himself and his little brother a life as easy as possible. In short, he was a very busy person. But he was rarely saying no when Inu-Yasha would ask him something, even if he was complaining about it for a good ten minutes ! For form's sake, you see...

So, he had accepted to drive them to the theater on his lunch break, but they had to make it quickly. Like he had said : _«I'll be waisting half of my lunch break for you, so you better hurry up if you want me to ever make you a favor again.»_ They had obediently nodded, except for Inu-Yasha who had retorted : _«As your wish, Mr. Vice-President. We wouldn't want to prevent you from doing your oh-so-interesting job, Mr. Vice-President !» _And they had started bickering again, as usual. But Sesshomaru hadn't changed his mind.

They exited the little pub, throwing their unfinished cones in a garbage can. They crossed the road and walked toward Sesshomaru, who was leaning against his car with an annoyed expression on his face. When they were close enough, he growled :

- Hurry up, kids, I don't have all day !

- Calm down, bro ! Inu-Yasha said.

- No thanks, Sesshomaru retorted. Now get in the car !

Inu-Yasha shook his head and let out an exasperated sigh. But just when they were about to get in the car, the hanyou exclaimed :

- Damn ! Where's my wallet ?

Sesshomaru growled again.

- Who cares ? I'll give you some extra money. Now just get in...

- No wait ! Inu-Yasha interrupted. I see it ! It's over there !

He pointed a little black spot in the middle of the road.

- I must've dropped it when I crossed ! Just wait a minute, I'll go get it !

He walked to the edge of the road, looking to his left and then to his right to see if there was any cars coming. When he saw that it was safe, he crossed and stopped halfway before his wallet. He bent down to take it...

That's when Kagome saw it. The car. Not a common car, but a flashing red sportscar, going at probably five times over the speed limit. Right toward Inu-Yasha...

- Inu-Yasha ! she shrieked, her heart stopping.

She heard Sango and Miroku yell the same thing behind her. Inu-Yasha quickly raised his head, looking around him. But it was too late... The car tried to brake, making a loud grating sound... but it was going too fast...

And under their horrified gazes, it made collision...

_o0 End flashback 0o_

Kagome came back to the present, her whole body shivering with fear. She realized she had been crying. She wiped her tears away with her sleeve, looking at the inconscious hanyou in the hospital bed. Dr Kaede had told them that if Inu-Yasha had been human, he would be dead.

She approached him and took his hand. He didn't notice of course... During the first weeks after his accident, Kagome had been totally devastated, locking herself in her room and crying all day and night, calling Inu-Yasha's name. It had become clear that she needed a therapy. Her mother had taken her to one, and if at the beginning Kagome was reluctant to cooperate, she had found out that the therapy was indeed making her feel better. So she had followed it. After three months, she had been declared alright. Well, not 100 percent alright, but she wasn't depressed anymore. And then, she had decided that it was time to act...

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**A/N: Well, so far so good, what do you think ? Please send me reviews !**

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	3. Kagome's painful memories, part 2

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**Author's note : **Don't worry, I won't bother you with my notes at each chapter ! I just hope you like the story, and please send me reviews if you have a chance ! I'm also not a cry baby so you can be honnest. But don't insult me, that would be very mean !

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**Chapter two : Kagome's painful memories, part 2**

**Kagome's POV**

She gently brushed away some strands of silver hair from Inu-Yasha's forehead. She loved him so much... Like they say : _"You don't realize how much you need something until you lose it"_. It was more or less her case. She had always known that she loved Inu-Yasha, she just hadn't realized how badly. She wanted him to wake up, to look at her with his beautiful golden eyes, to smile at her... She needed him like she needed air and food. Without him, she wasn't complete...

But she had taken a decision. It was just after the end of her therapy. She had returned home with a determined expression on her face. Her mother had been so happy to see that she wasn't depressed anymore, that she was back to her usual self. Ms. Higurashi knew how much her daughter loved Inu-Yasha, she had seen it with her own eyes. She herself had developped a motherly love for the stubborn hanyou, and she had also been horrified when she had learned what had happened to him. But her daughter... she had been practically broken. She wouldn't eat, or talk, or even sleep... Her mother was so relieved to see that the therapy had helped her. Kagome also had a younger brother, Souta, and her grandfather who was living with them. They had been worried about her too, and were happy to see her out of her depression.

When she had come back to her family shrine, she had gone directly to the phone. Her mother had told her that Sango and Miroku had also been following a therapy. None of them were taking Inu-Yasha's accident very well. They hadn't even seen each other since that day at the hospital. Kagome had decided that that situation had lasted long enough. She had called Sango and then Miroku, insisting to see them. They had agreed to meet at Tokyo's Park, at 2:00 p.m. They needed to talk...

_o0 Flashback 0o_

Kagome entered the park, holding the front of her coat tightly. They were in october, and it was starting to become cold. She searched the park for her friends. Finally, she saw them, sitting on a bench not too far away. Sango was leaning on Miroku's shoulder, and he wasn't even trying to grope her. They looked a bit tired. Kagome sighed. Their moral was at zero since... well you know what. She herself, even if she was no longer in depression, wasn't feeling too cheerful either. But aside to that, she was happy to see her friends again.

She approached them, a timid smile on her lips. When they saw her, they rose and returned the smile.

- Hum... Hi guys, Kagome said. It's great to see you...

They looked at each other for a while. And suddenly, without any warnings, they fell into each other's arms, finally sharing their pain. A couple of minutes after that outburst, they calmly sat on the bench, not really knowing what to say. Kagome took a deep breath. She was the one who had called them, she was the one who had something to say. It was more difficult than she had thought it would be. But she had to tell them. Her decision was final. They had to do it.

She looked at them and said in a whisper :

- Guys... we have to go see him.

They tensed. She knew they would. She pursued in a more firm voice :

- We have to go visit him. Even if we don't like what we see. That's not a reason. We can't just go on like this and do like nothing happened. Cause it had... _He's not dead, damn it ! _If we don't go, it'll be like we were abandoning him ! What kind of friends would we make if we'd do that ? He's always been there for us, now we have to be there for him ! It's that simple ! And you may think that he won't notice, but I'm sure he will !

Her speech over, she shut her mouth and waited for them to react. At first, they said nothing. But then, Miroku spoke softly :

- I... I think you're right, Kagome. It wouldn't be right of us to... abandon him.

- Not right at all ! added Sango, shaking her head vigorously.

And so, they went to the hospital, taking their strength from each other. Once there, they asked to see Dr Kaede. Inu-Yasha was her patient, and she was taking personal care of him. A couple of minutes later, the old woman came to see them. She had a comprehensive smile and a reassuring voice when she told them :

- You must be Inu-Yasha's friends ? (They nodded) Ah, well I'm happy to see that you came. It's kind of sad, but when someone fall in a coma, their family and friends have a tendency to not come and visit them very often, because they don't want to accept the situation.

They felt a bit uncomfortable. They had almost done that, too...

- Well, if you want to follow me, Kaede said.

They went to the second floor, the intensive care unit. They walked through a long white corridor with blue doors on both sides and finally, Kaede stopped before one of the doors. They observed it apprehensively : room 316, Inu-Yasha Takahashi.

Suddenly, they were afraid. Afraid to see what was in the room. Kaede noticed and said with a gentle tone :

- I understand how you all feel, my children. What you're about to do is not easy. Believe me, it's the same for everyone. But you have to be strong. For him, if for nothing else.

They nodded. With an encouraging smile, Kaede opened the door and entered the room. They slowly followed, hands in hands.

The room was dark, the only light provided by a small lamp on the bedside table. At first, all they saw was the bed, with someone lying on it, and with a bunch of machines around it. It left just one side of the bed free, so that people could stand or sit there. The machines's buttons and screens were glowing dimly, and there was that continuous sound of _"bip... bip... bip... bip..." _that was resonating strangely in the silence of the room.

But when they came closer, they saw him. They gripped each other's hands more tightly, not able to say a word. All they could do was watch...

Their friend was there, lying on the bed, many tubes connected to his arms and some electrodes on his forehead. He had a mask on his face giving him oxygen. But what shocked them the most was that Inu-Yasha looked so... small. So fragile. Him who had always been the big tough guy, it was... painful to see him like this. His skin was pale, almost as white as his long silver hair. He was also thinner, the only nourishment he was receiving coming from some of the tubes on his arms. He was completely immobile, not even his eyelids were moving.

Kaede spoke, startling them :

- I will leave you alone with him. I'll come back later to see if everything is alright.

She walked to the door and then stopped, turning toward them again.

- You know, she said, you should talk to him. I know it sounds strange, but... we have a theory. It's not confirmed yet, but we think that those who are in a coma may be able to hear people's voices, sometimes. They can't react to it, of course, and we're not even sure that it truly works. But you could try it anyway. Just in case...

She smiled and exited the room, closing the door behind her. For a moment, they didn't know what to do with themselves. But then, Kagome released Sango's hand and slowly walked to the bed. There was a low metallic bar on the side of the bed, and she put her hands on it. She looked at Inu-Yasha's face. Then, before she could stop herself, her hand was on his cheek, caressing it lightly. She knew she was crying, but she didn't care. She whispered softly :

- Hi Inu-Yasha. It's me. It's Kagome... I'm sorry I didn't come sooner...

She felt Sango and Miroku come beside her. Sango was the one who spoke :

- Inu-Yasha ? It's Sango. And Miroku's here too. We... we're sorry we left you alone...

Miroku just took his friend's hand, silent. He couldn't speak. There was a knot in his throat.

They stayed there for almost two hours, and when they left, they had taken a decision : they would come visit Inu-Yasha as often as they could. They would speak to him. They would wait. Wait for him to wake up. They would wait as long as it would take. And they would _not_ abandon him...

_o0 End flashback 0o_

Kagome sighed. That was about eight months ago. But their resolution was still as strong as it was before. Each of them would come see Inu-Yasha at least three times in a week, sometimes alone, sometimes together. They were bringing him presents, like flowers and pictures to decorate the room. They were telling him what was going on at school or with their families. When they would go see a movie, they would come and tell the story to him. They were doing all that and more. They had sworn to do it. And they would continue to do it.

Today Kagome was alone with him. It was a Monday evening, and she had come after doing all of her homeworks. She had stopped at a flower shop and bought some new ones for Inu-Yasha. Red, yellow and white. His favorite colors.

His hand still in hers, Kagome told him :

- I bought you some more flowers, Inu-Yasha. The old ones were withered. I had a lot of homeworks, I had to do it before I could come and see you. Mr. Watsuki was in a terrible mood today. He gave us all that work and a test for tomorrow. I don't know what bit him ! Maybe his stupid Chihuahua got tired of listening to his ridiculous orders !

She laughed a little and added more softly :

- Everyone at school misses you, you know ? Yeah, even Kouga. He doesn't know what to do with himself since he can't argue with you anymore ! The poor first grades have to suffer his bad mood all the time ! But... me, Sango and Miroku miss you more. It's not the same without you around. I hope you'll wake up soon... And don't worry. I'll wait for you, my love...

It was true. Kind of tragic, but true. She knew she couldn't love anyone other than Inu-Yasha even if she tried. So she would wait for him. All her life, if necessary...

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	4. A friendly visit

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****Chapter three : A friendly visit**

**Miroku's POV**

He entered the room with Sango at his side, hand in hand. It was dark, but they were use to it now. They took two chairs and sat beside the bed. Sango noticed the new bouquet of flowers and said :

- Ah, I see Kagome bought you some more flowers, Inu-Yasha. She must've come yesterday. Sorry we didn't accompany her, but Miroku and I were on a date, you see ?

She giggled a little. Miroku smiled. They'd had a real great time on their date. Sango had been happy because for once he hadn't tried to grope her. She had given him a long kiss when he had brought her back home. Maybe he wouldn't grope her anymore...

He glanced at Inu-Yasha. Still no changes, the doctors had said. His joyful behaviour weakened a bit. One moment, he wondered how he could allow himself to have fun when his best friend was in a coma... But he dismissed that thought almost immediately. Inu-Yasha _would _want him to have fun, not grieve for him like if he was dead. Miroku knew it.

He and Inu-Yasha were friends since nursery school. It was a very long time. He remembered the first time he had seen Inu-Yasha. One day, during lunch break, a bunch of little guys had cornered him in the back of the schoolyard. They were little pests that were always making troubles, and today he was their victim. Back then, Miroku wasn't very good at defending himself. He was preparing for a good beating-up, when suddenly this white-haired child had jumped in front of him, almost scaring his attackers to death. Growling, he had told them to _«get lost before I start sharpening my claws on you !»_. The little boys had run to their moms without demanding their rest.

His mysterious saviour had then turned to look at him. He had golden eyes, fangs, claws and puppy ears. A hanyou, Miroku had guessed. That wasn't usual... _«What ? Are you afraid of me ?» _the boy had asked. Miroku had just stood up and answered with a smile : _«No, and thank you for saving me !»_ The other had just said : _«Feh !»_ and crossed his arms.

They had eaten at the same table that day, and it wasn't long before they became good friends. Miroku smiled. Inu-Yasha was always being rude, but as soon as someone was in danger he would go and help. He was a very complex person...

He looked down at the hanyou's immobile form. Sango was holding his hand, looking sad. _"I bet I have the same look on _my_ face"_ he thought. Even after ten months, it was still hard for them to see Inu-Yasha like that. Kagome had told them that she was still making nightmares about the accident. He hadn't said it, but he too was dreaming of it sometimes. He hated those nights, when he would wake up sweaty and shaky after re-seeing the horrors of that day...

Unnoticed by him, his mind started to replay the accident in his head like a bad movie...

_o0 Flashback 0o_

Miroku saw the car coming at incredible speed. He heard Kagome and Sango yell at the same time as him :

- Inu-Yasha !

The hanyou raised his head immediately, but it was too late... The car tried to brake... but at the crazy speed it was going, it couldn't stop in time...

The vehicle hit Inu-Yasha full speed, its tires screeching on the pave as it was still trying to stop. Inu-Yasha was ejected in the air before landing harshly a few meters away like a dismantled doll. All the circulation stopped as everyone was getting out of their cars to see what had happened. The pedestrian traffic stopped as well, and people begun to gather around the accident zone. The red car had finally succeeded to brake, its tires steaming, leaving long black lines behind its path.

Miroku and the others snapped out of their shocked state and ran as fast as they could toward Inu-Yasha. A crowd had gathered around the place where the hanyou had landed, and they had to push people aside to get to their friend. When they finally did... they froze in horror.

Inu-Yasha was lying on the ground, on his back, his eyes closed. His left arm was in an unnatural position and a pool of blood was beginning to form under his head, staining his long white hair. He didn't seem to be breathing...

- Someone call an ambulance ! a man yelled in the crowd.

- I did ! somebody else answered. They'll be here in a minute !

Miroku was totally dumbfounded. He couldn't get his eyes away from all that blood under Inu-Yasha's head. Sesshomaru was the first to react ; he went to his brother and fell to his knees beside him. His gaze was unfocused and his hands were trembling. He made a move to pick his brother up, but then Kagome found her voice and said :

- No, don't move him ! We can't move him until the ambulance is here !

She went to kneel beside Inu-Yasha too. Sesshomaru obeyed her and just took his brother's hand, a haunted expression on his face. Kagome was crying madly, her whole body shivering. Miroku felt Sango lean against him. He looked at her : she was so pale it was surprising she hadn't passed out by now. He supported her and tried to stay calm himself. He was feeling sick and had this huge desire to throw up. When he looked at his hands, he saw that they were shaking violently...

The sirens of the the ambulance alerted them that help was here. The big white vehicle stopped beside the crowd, its sirens still on. Two police cars were following it, and went directly to the red sportscar that had hit Inu-Yasha.

Two guys exited the back of the ambulance with a stretcher, telling everyone to make them way. They halted beside Inu-Yasha and told Kagome and Sesshomaru to move back so that they could grab him. They did as told, and the two men cautiously took the hanyou and put him on the stretcher, checking his vital signs. When they brought him to the ambulance, Miroku and the others insisted to come with them.

- OK as long as you let us do our job ! one of the guy said hurriedly.

They nodded and quickly followed. The doors of the ambulance closed on them and the vehicle rushed to the hospital, its sirens shrieking...

_o0 End flashback 0o_

Miroku shook himself up. He hadn't wanted to remember that. Believe it or not, it was still painful. Those images were haunting him. He was still wondering if he could have done something to save Inu-Yasha, to get him out of the way in time... But he was always coming back to the same answer : no. There was nothing he could've done. And it was so unfair...

He looked at his friend and tried to cheer up while saying :

- You'll never guess where I took Sango for our date ! To the restaurant ! It was great, we ate lobster, sushi and something else I don't know about... Anyway, Sango said that it was _romantic_. The girl is soooo in love with me !

Sango hit him on the head and he smiled sheepishly. He was just teasing her and she knew it. They were doing that all the time, and it was kind of cute. Miroku took her hand in his and she clenched it tightly.

After that, they stayed silent, just watching Inu-Yasha breathe. It was relaxing in a way, and they were often doing that when they would come to see him. Just be there, holding his hand, without talking. Just be there. Waiting.

* * *


	5. Little brother

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**Chapter four : Little brother**

**Sesshomaru's POV**

The young demon hesitated before the blue door. Finally, he opened it and entered the room. The darkness wasn't a problem for him, he could see as well as if they had been in full daylight. He was a demon, after all.

Sesshomaru sat on a chair beside his brother's bed. Looking at him, he felt a familiar knot beginning to form in his throat.

It was still hurting. It would always hurt. Him, the whole powerful Sesshomaru, rich and respected, was hurting deeply for his little brother. People were saying that he was cold and emotionless, and with many things he was, but not when it was coming to Inu-Yasha. He had always kept it for himself, but his younger brother was his soft spot. Since they were kids, he had taken care of him. Especially after their parents had died...

They'd been murdered. His father and his step-mother. His dad was a very powerful demon and a powerful businessman. But he also had powerful ennemies who were sending him all sorts of threats, even assassins. One day, after an evening out at the theater, a particularly strong demon had attacked Mr.Takahashi and his wife in a deserted street. The assassin had killed Inu-Yasha's mother first. Their father had wanted to avenge his wife, but he had been wounded and was slowly losing his strength. He finally succeeded at killing the demon, but he also died in the process.

In one night, Sesshomaru and Inu-Yasha had become orphans. Sure there was Sesshomaru's own mother, but he had learned by his father that she had died a year ago. So now, he and his little brother were truly alone, with no other relatives. They had been sent to an orphanage. Inu-Yasha wasn't even 4 years old yet, and Sesshomaru had stayed with him all the way. He had protected him and taken care of him. They had always refused to be separated, and if someone wanted to adopt them, they had to take both brothers, not just one.

Finally, a man had adopted the two of them, and they had lived with him until he died. But luckily, Sesshomaru had reached his majority at the time and he had signed to become Inu-Yasha's tutor. Their adoptive father had allowed him to go to college, and soon after the old man's death Sesshomaru had obtained a very good job in a security firm, due to his excellent results at school. Now he was the vice-president of the firm, and the secretly soon-to-be president.

All that, he had done it for him and his little brother. He had worked hard and was proud of his achievements. Everything was going great for them. They were rich, they had a high social position, and most important of all they were still together and as close as before. But Sesshomaru should've known that it was too good to last...

Since that accident, he wasn't himself anymore. Oh sure he was still cold and stiff and bossing people around, but something was missing. He felt broken inside. And he felt guilty. One of his main purposes in life was to protect his little brother. To make sure nothing bad happened to him. But for the first time in his existence, Sesshomaru had failed miserably.

He should've pushed him out of the way. He sould've reacted faster. Maybe he could've saved him. But he had done nothing of the sort.

He could perfectly recall that day... The red car when it hit Inu-Yasha... All the blood under his head... And he wasn't moving. Was he even breathing ? Sesshomaru had been in such a state of shock that he couldn't think properly. Gone his bossy attitude. Gone his ever-present self-confidence. Just when he needed it the most, his assurance had vanished in thin air. And then he had heard the sirens, long before the others could, thanks to his keen senses. Help was coming. Good, because _he_ couldn't do anything. He was totally paralyzed.

The ambulance had arrived. Two guys had brought Inu-Yasha in it. They had insisted to go with them. All the way to the hospital, Sesshomaru had said nothing, watching Kagome cry and the other two who were as white as snow. He couldn't look at his brother. He couldn't accept what had just happened. When the ambulance had finally arrived at the hospital, not even four minutes later, that's when he had suddenly snapped out...

_o0 Flashback 0o _

The vehicle stopped. One of the two men quickly opened the doors, while the other was already pushing the stretcher toward it. They exited the ambulance, Sesshomaru and the others on their heels.

They ran toward the main entrance of the hospital. There was a nurse waiting for them. She opened the doors and they passed her hurriedly. As soon as they were inside, one of the ambulance men yelled :

- Code Red ! We have an emergency here !

Three nurses and a doctor (it wasn't Kaede) rushed up toward them. The doctor, a tall man with glasses, quickly asked :

- That's the boy who got hit by a car ?

- Yes ! the guy answered.

And they all started to run again. Sesshomaru followed, never letting his brother out of his sight. Kagome, Miroku and Sango were right behind him. While running through the white corridors, people moving aside to let them pass, the nurses and the doctor were bustling around the stretcher, making all sorts of checkups on Inu-Yasha.

- His blood pressure ! I want his blood pressure ! the doctor yelled.

- Cardiovascular collapse ! His pressure is at 60mmHg ! a nurse answered.

- Give him oxigen !

Another nurse put a mask on Inu-Yasha's face. The doctor pursued :

- What's his pulse ?

- 37 per minute !

- Damn ! We're losing him...

Sesshomaru's heart stopped when he heard that. Kagome gasped behind him. The doctor shouted :

- To the reanimation room ! Presto !

They turned to the right, heading toward two large doors at the end of the corridor. The doctor then looked at Sesshomaru and asked hastily :

- Are you one of his relatives ?

- I'm his older brother... Sesshomaru answered.

- OK, but are you his legal tutor or something ?

- Yes...

- Well, we need to reanimate him and to make a cerebral scan. Then we'll transfer him in neurosurgery. We need your verbal and written agreement, is it alright ?

- Yes...

- Fine. You'll just have to go at the reception and they'll give you some papers to fill. By the way, what's his name ?

He was pointing at the inconscious hanyou.

- It's Inu-Yasha...

They had arrived in front of the doors. The doctor looked down at Sesshomaru's brother and said :

- Don't worry Inu-Yasha. We'll take care of you. Just hold on OK boy ?...

And they pushed the stretcher in the reanimation room. Sesshomaru and the others tried to follow but the doctor stopped them :

- You can't come in here. You have to wait outside.

- But... they all started at the same time.

- No ! the doctor interrupted them. It's only the medical staff. Sorry...

He entered the room and closed the doors behind him. Sesshomaru was fuming. How dare that human speaking to him like that ! Nobody would stop him from going in there at his brother's side ! If anyone tried...

He knew his eyes were turning red. He growled... But suddenly, he felt a light touch on his arm. He lowered his gaze and saw that Kagome had put her trembling hand on his sleeve. Her cheeks were soaked with tears and she was pale like a ghost. She whispered to him softly :

- Sesshomaru... please... I know you're worried... I am too, but please, you have to calm down and let them do their jobs... They're trying to save Inu-Yasha... don't get angry, please...

Maybe it was her soft tone, but Sesshomaru started to relax... He took a deep breath and calmed his demon blood. He recomposed himself and turned toward them. They looked very shaken... Sesshomaru went to the reception while his brother's friends were sitting in the waiting room. He rejoined them a couple of minutes later. Now, all they could do was wait. And pray...

_o0 End flashback 0o_

Sesshomaru blinked. He had been daydreaming again... He was often doing that when he would come see Inu-Yasha. He was visiting him almost every day, after his work. Those visits were painful, but there was no way he would stop.

He looked at his brother. Inu-Yasha had never come to an hospital before... Being a hanyou, he was never sick and rarely injured. But his body wasn't unbreakable. That car was going so fast... it had hit him so hard... Even Sesshomaru would've probably had something severely broken after such a collision. He observed the hanyou again. He seemed so... fragile. Sesshomaru gently took his hand. Ten months already. It was almost a year. And still no changes... He started to wonder if Inu-Yasha would ever wake up.

At that thought, he gripped Inu-Yasha's hand more tightly and pleaded :

- Please, just wake up... please little brother...

Sesshomaru had never pleaded to anyone before.

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	6. Tough looks, good heart

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**Chapter five : Tough looks, good heart**

**Sango's POV**

The young girl pushed the door and came in. Without a word, she went to sit beside the bed. _"Bip... bip... bip... bip..."_ the heart monitor was doing. The first times, she had found that noise most annoying, but now she was use to it. It was relieving, in a way. A proof that Inu-Yasha was still alive.

Sango had come alone today. Miroku had an appointment to the dentist and Kagome was totally overloaded with homeworks. But Sango was free and so she had thought it a good idea to pay her hanyou friend a visit.

She didn't think it was a loss of her time. It was the total opposite. Like for Kagome and Miroku, making sure to come and see Inu-Yasha sometimes was one of her priorities. She had never abandoned a friend before, she would not start now. She spoke a bit to him, like she always did. They were all doing it, hoping that maybe, he could hear them and know that he wasn't alone...

- It's just me today, Inu-Yasha. Miroku is at the dentist. I practically had to drag him along all the way ! Can you believe he's still afraid to go to the dentist at his age ? As for Kagome, she has so much homeworks that I think she'll be on it 'til Christmas ! But don't worry, she'll come see you tomorrow. You know she wouldn't miss an occasion to be with you even if her life depended on it. Well, I happened to have some free time so I came. I would tell you about school but there's not really anything worth to say. There's nothing new, lately. It's boring. I wish you were awake, Inu-Yasha. _You_ would surely find something to do ! Probably something illegal, but it's better than nothing, I suppose...

She laughed a little. She was kidding, but there was one part very serious in what she had just said. She wished Inu-Yasha would awaken. She was missing his voice, his smile... she was even missing his rude manners and his stubbornness. The hanyou had always been like a brother to her, since the day she had met him. She remembered that day...

It hadn't been one of her best days. Her alarm clock hadn't rung, she had arrived late at school, she couldn't find her history project (she had to return it that same day) and finally, her locker was blocked. And then Inu-Yasha had shown up...

_o0 Flashback 0o_

- Will you open you stupid locker ! Sango shouted.

A few students looked at her but she ignored them. She shook her locker's door again and only succeeded at dropping all the books she was holding. She resisted the urge to pull her hair out of her head. _"Damn it's not my day !"_ she thought angrily.

- Hey, girl ? a voice suddenly said behind her.

She answered impatiently without even turning around :

- My name is not "girl", it's Sango.

She bent down to pick up her books. The person, who was obviously a boy, spoke again :

- Whoa, don't bite me, I didn't do anything to you. Why are you so angry anyway ?

And then she exploded, dropping all her books a second time :

- Why ? I'll tell you why ! My alarm clock didn't ring, I was late at school, I lost my history project and now this pain of a locker is blocked ! So as you can see, it's not my day and I don't want anybody to annoy me right now OK ?

Then she turned to look at him. No need to say what she saw surprised her : long white hair, golden eyes, fangs, claws and... puppy ears ! That guy was a hanyou... That last fact rung a bell in her head ; wasn't her best friend Kagome in love with a hanyou ? Curious, she forgot her anger for a while and asked :

- You wouldn't happen to be Inu-Yasha, by any chance ?

He frowned and answered :

- So what if I am ?

- Oh, nothing... she said with a little smile.

He looked at her for a moment. Finally, he retorted :

- Yeah, I'm Inu-Yasha.

So it _was_ him. Sango had to admire Kagome's taste ; that guy... or hanyou, was pretty handsome. Just then, she realized how she had shouted to him and blushed... Reluctantly, she said :

- Hum... sorry for yelling at you.

She was startled when he just said :

- Feh... Don't bother with it.

- So... what did you want to ask me ?

- Hum... well... I just wanted to know... could you tell me where Kagome is ? I know you're her friend cause I saw you with her the other day.

He was avoiding her gaze, she noticed. Was he going to propose to Kagome ? Was that why he was acting so embarrassed ? Sango smiled. She knew that he had broke up with his girlfriend Kikyo a week ago because their relation was a mess. Kagome would be so happy ! She answered :

- Well, I think she's at the library at the moment.

- Okay... Thanks... Sango.

He made a move to leave but suddenly, he stopped and looked at her again. Then, he walked toward her locker. He took the handle and pulled ; with his hanyou strength, the locker easily opened. Then he told her :

- You know... for your history project... if it's upsetting you that much, you can tell your teacher I took it to tease you. Don't worry, he'll believe you ! And I'll confirm if he asks me. You'll surely have an extension. I really don't mind, just for this once...

He gave her an arrogant grin and dashed off.

Sango stood still for a while, unable to speak. Then, slowly, she smiled. Maybe it wasn't such a bad day after all...

_o0 End flashback 0o_

Sango looked at the form lying on the bed and smiled. Inu-Yasha had asked Kagome to be his girlfriend that day. During their history class, she had told Sango with sparkling eyes that Inu-Yasha and her were together. Sango was very happy for her friend. She knew that Kagome had a crush on the hanyou since a very long time. Sango also knew that Inu-Yasha was the best friend of Miroku, her own boyfriend, but she had never met him before this day. She had thought that it was quite a personage !

She smiled again. Even on that first day, when she had yelled at him with no reasons, Inu-Yasha had helped her. He was even ready to take the blame for her lost project. But Sango hadn't accused him. Just knowing that he would've done it was enough to cheer her up. She had been in a very good mood for the rest of the day, and had told the truth to her history teacher. She would learn later that Inu-Yasha was always like this : acting as if he didn't care but willing to take everything upon his own shoulders if it could help his friends.

- You know what, Inu-Yasha ? she whispered. Deep down, you're just a big softie !

She took his hand. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt like crying. She wished Miroku was there...

The door opened behind her and a beam of light coming from the hallway invaded the room. Sango turned to see who was there.

- Oh, hello Sesshomaru, she said.

He looked at her with empty eyes. She wasn't surprised to see that expression on his face. He was wearing it since the day they had learned that Inu-Yasha had fell in a coma. To many people Sesshomaru was just as strong, beautiful and cold as before, but to some persons like Sango and her friends, the changes in him were obvious... He was thinner, like if he wasn't eating enough, but it wasn't the true reason. Full demons like himself didn't lose weight from a lack of food, unless it was a very big one and during a long time. But Sesshomaru hadn't changed his eating patterns. What was making him thinner was his constant worry about his brother. His bearings were a bit less assured, his hair had lost the natural shiny glint it once had, and his eyes were missing that tiny sparkle of life it should've had.

If Sango was to choose which one of them had been hit the most severely by Inu-Yasha's condition, she would choose Sesshomaru. Sure he hadn't made a full depression like Kagome, and he hadn't followed any therapies like them. But the thing was that no therapy could help him. The young demon was dead inside. He was just going with the stream, day after day, repeating mechanically every actions, not even realizing himself his own condition. He was locked in his routine, locked in his waiting, and should he take only one step out of it, he would probably crash and shatter into millions of pieces... No one could do anything for him now. The only thing that could bring him back to life was if his brother could wake up from his coma. And that could take a long time...

He told her with an emotionless voice :

- Sango. I didn't mean to interrupt.

- Oh no, I was just leaving anyway. (She glanced at her friend.) See you later Inu-Yasha. (She looked up at his brother.) Bye Sesshomaru.

He didn't answer, and she didn't expect him to. He just sat beside his brother and took his hand. Sango exited the room, and while she was walking down the hall, she thought : _"You really have to wake up Inu-Yasha. Cause it's only by seeing your eyes open that your loved ones will be able to come back to life... Only by hearing your voice that their soul will heal... It's all up to you, now." _

In room 316, one of Inu-Yasha's ears twitched. But Sesshomaru, the only person who could've seen it, was lost in deep thought, his eyes closed. And so, that tiny sign of life that everyone was waiting for went unnoticed...

* * *


	7. Happy birthday

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**Author's note : **Hello ! Miss me ? By the way, thank you for reading the fic this far ! I know I'm repeating myself, but reviews would be very appreciated ! Sorry if I'm annoying...

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**Chapter six : Happy birthday**

**Kagome's POV**

Kagome stared lovingly at Inu-Yasha's sleeping form. Even now, with all these tubes connected to him and his skin almost as pale as his hair, he was still beautiful. Anyway, that was her opinion. Maybe she was thinking that because she was in love, but to her Inu-Yasha was the most handsome man she had ever seen.

She was waiting for the others. Today, everyone was coming, even Sesshomaru (usually, he was always coming alone). The reason was that today was a special day... It was sad that they had to pass it this way, but they couldn't ignore it, none of them. Today, Inu-Yasha was turning sixteen. It was his birthday.

They hadn't bought any presents. What would it serve, if the person you were buying it for was in a coma ? But they would all come see him. Right now, it was the only thing they could do that would truly mean something.

The door opened behind her. Kagome turned to see Sango and Miroku come in, followed by the tall figure of Sesshomaru. Miroku smiled to her, but it wasn't a true smile. Kagome could understand why. It wasn't really a _happy_ birthday...

- Hi Kagome ! Sango said. How is it going ?

- Fine. And you ?

- Oh, just peachy !

It was a stupid conversation, and they knew it. But they had to say _something_ to fill the unbearable silence ! Kagome glanced at Sesshomaru ; no improvements on his side either. He came to sit beside her and observed his brother without a word. She could see the sadness in his eyes, even if he was trying hard to hide it. She turned to her friends ; they just lifted their shoulders.

With a sigh, Kagome turned back to Inu-Yasha. Gently caressing his cheek, she whispered :

- Well, Inu-Yasha... happy birthday.

She saw Sesshomaru tense at her words. But he said nothing. After a while, Miroku asked nervously :

- Hum... anybody want something to drink ?

- I do, answered Sango. Bring me a soda, OK ?

- No problem. Someone else ?

- Yes, Kagome added. Could you get me an orange juice, please ?

Miroku nodded and exited the room. He already knew that Sesshomaru wouldn't want anything. A couple of minutes later, he came back with their drinks plus a coffee for himself. Kagome took her juice with a "thank you". She wanted to add something but she couldn't find anything to say. She took a sip of her drink while playing with one soft lock of Inu-Yasha's hair. And that's when she saw it : one small puppy ear twitching like if it had just heard a particularly surprising noise. Jolting on her chair, Kagome gasped and almost choked herself with her juice.

She started to cough and Sango came to pat her on the back. Everyone was looking at her and Miroku asked :

- Kagome, are you alright ? What is it ?

Swallowing and rubbing her watery eyes, she answered with her attention focused on Inu-Yasha's head :

- It's... it's Inu-Yasha's ear ! It moved !

Totally astonished, they stared at her, not knowing what to say. Finally, Sesshomaru spoke for the first time, asking hesitantly :

- Are you sure ?...

- Absolutely certain ! she retorted with a firm voice.

She stood up and bent over the metallic bar of the bed to get closer to Inu-Yasha's face. The others just looked hopefully, not making any sound. Kagome said softly :

- Inu-Yasha ? Do you hear me ?

The silence in the room was so thick you could've sliced through it with a knife. But nothing happened... _"I know I saw it !"_ Kagome thought desperately. _"It wasn't my imagination !"_ With an almost pleading tone, she asked again :

- Inu-Yasha ?...

And this time, taking everyone by surprise, both ears twitched cutely, reacting to the sound of Kagome's voice. Sesshomaru jumped on his feet, gripping the bed's metallic bar with both hands and staring at his brother. Sango's eyes were as big as tennis balls and Miroku exclaimed :

- Oh my God... It can't be...

Kagome was smiling madly. She turned to look at Sesshomaru when he said in a breath :

- Little brother ?

The little doggy ears moved toward the noise again. Sesshomaru clenched the metallic bar so hard his knuckles became white. That movement, that tiny movement, was representing the world to them. A wonderful hope begun to bloom in their hearts... Sesshomaru was speaking in a low voice, not addressing to anyone in particular :

- He's not suppose to do that, right ? He's not suppose to react to the outside world, that's what the doctor said... Except if... if...

Kagome could see that he was struggling with himself, not daring to believe... not daring to hope... He was afraid to be crushed again, and who knew if he could go through a second blast ? Kagome was a bit scared too, but she allowed herself to have faith... The feeling was so good...

Suddenly, Miroku exclaimed :

- I'll go get Dr.Kaede !

And with that, he rushed out of the room like the Devil was on his tail.

About ten minutes later, he was back with Kaede. The woman was now performing some tests on Inu-Yasha, the whole group standing behind her and holding their breath, waiting for her verdict. She checked the screens, noted something on her report, shone a light in the hanyou's eyes, took his pulse... Finally, she turned toward them with a smile. They had butterflies in their stomachs, sweating under the pressure. What were they gonna get ? Bad news or good news ? Kaede chuckled and then said :

- Don't look so worried, children, I think I have some good news for you !

They held on to each of her words like their lives were depending on it... and they were, in a way...

- Inu-Yasha's state has greatly improved, Kaede told them. You see, until now he was in coma's phase 3. It's not the worst phase but it's very far from good too. But according to the check-up I just made... of course it's just a quick look, we'll have to make some further exams... anyway, it seems like Inu-Yasha has reached back a little bit higher than phase 1.

- And... is that good ? asked Kagome.

- It's very good, my child. From now on, if I'm right... and I'm pretty sure I am... Inu-Yasha should wake up in a matter of days, maybe a week.

For a moment, they just stood silent, taking in this new information. And then... came the after-effects : Kagome started to cry, a bright smile on her lips. Miroku and Sango laughed happily and kissed each other passionately, like if they hadn't a care in the world. Sesshomaru just collapsed on his chair, totally stunned.

- Well, what do you know... Kagome whispered softly, looking at her lover. It _is_ a happy birthday after all...

Who would've guessed ?

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**A/N : I just wanted to add that I usually update quickly, so you don't have to wait long for other chapters. Just check regularly and you'll see by yourselves !**

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	8. His golden eyes

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**Chapter seven : His golden eyes**

**Sesshomaru's POV**

In his office, a very anxious dog demon was pacing furiously. His ninth coffee cup was resting on his desk, aside to some documents he was supposed to review. His secretary came in and smiled at the sight of him. She said teasingly :

- Come on, boss, you have to relax. And no more coffee, you're edgy enough as it is. Now, I'm not the expert around here, but I'm pretty sure that those papers won't review themselves !

Sesshomaru shot her an evil glare. The woman just smiled. She was use to her boss's attitude, _and _she was aware of the whole ordeal with his younger brother. It was making him nervous and more irritable than usual.

The white-haired man told her with an annoyed tone :

- Thanks a lot for reminding me, Kagura. I was indeed looking forward to this. After all, it's not as if I had anything else to worry about !

He was being sarcastic and he knew it. But he was on the edge recently. Inu-Yasha could wake up at any time now, and Sesshomaru couldn't stand the waiting. He was almost jumping each times the phone was ringing, thinking that it was the hospital. But he had received no news so far...

Kagura wasn't offended by his sarcasm. She barely smiled and gave him the files she had brought. Then, she left.

Sesshomaru sat behind his desk and stared at the papers that required his attention. He sighed and thought : _"Well, might as well do it..." _

Three hours later, most of his work was done. The phone rang for the thousandth time of the day, but he didn't notice, too concentrated he was on his job. He was correcting his last document when Kagura came in.

- Boss, there's a call for you.

- Can't it wait ? he asked absently, not even looking up from his papers.

- Well, I suppose it could, but the nurse said that...

Sesshomaru immediately dropped everything he was holding, focusing all his attention on Kagura's words.

- The nurse ? he interrupted before she could finish her sentence.

- Yes, it's the hospital calling.

She barely had the time to move aside when Sesshomaru suddenly passed her hurriedly and ran toward the phone...

**

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****No one's POV**

Normally, rooms in the intensive care unit were calm and quiet. But you just had to take a look in room 316 to see that it wasn't the case there...

Kagome, Sango and Miroku were bombarding Dr.Kaede with their questions, while the poor woman was trying to answer everyone at the time.

- Do you think he'll be alright ? asked Kagome.

- Does that mean that he'll wake up today ? added Miroku.

- Should we speak to him or it's better if we stay silent ? pursued Sango.

- How long will we have to wait ? (Kagome again)

Kaede finally had enough and raised her hand to stop them. They did, and she told them reassuringly :

- Calm down, children, everything will be OK. I'll see to it.

- But... they started.

However, they were interrupted by Sesshomaru's sudden appearance. The dog demon burst in the room and went directly to Kaede. He was so stressed that you could almost feel it all around him. He said precipitately :

- Sorry, I came as soon as you called me. So, will he really wake up ? Today ? Are you sure ? What if...

He stopped when he felt Kaede's hand on his arm. She smiled to him, then she removed her hand and took a few steps back so that she could face everyone of them. Finally, she said softly :

- Now first, let's take this calmly. Since Inu-Yasha's condition have improved, I've been placing him under constant surveillance. I also came to examine him myself each day, and this morning I noticed some new signs. I'll save you the complicated details, but to make it short, if all goes well, Inu-Yasha should wake up in the next 12 hours, at the most.

They looked at her with wide eyes, not knowing what to say. She smiled and pursued :

- I made sure each of you were warned because I figured you would wish to know it right away. Now, you can stay here and wait if you want, but you can also go back home and we'll call you again when he wakes up.

- No, Kagome immediately answered. I'll stay... I want to be here when... when he'll open his eyes...

- Me too, retorted Sango.

- And so as me, said Miroku.

Sesshomaru just walked to the bed and sat down on a chair beside it. Apparently, he had no intentions of leaving either.

- As you wish, Kaede said gently. Then you can watch him for me, what do you say ? And when he wakes up, just press that button over there, I'll come right away !

With that, she gave them another smile and walked out of the room.

They settled themselves around the bed (some of the machines had been removed, so now both sides of the bed were free), and they quietly observed the still form lying on it... Inu-Yasha didn't have his oxygen mask anymore, since he could now breathe by himself, and a little number of tubes had been removed from his arms. He was still very pale, though... His little ears were twitching almost all the time now, catching sounds that they obviously couldn't identify.

They waited. Three hours... then five... then eight... Finally, after ten hours and sixteen minutes of waiting, it happened.

It was almost 3 a.m. Kagome had her arms crossed and resting on the bed's mattress (for some reason, the metallic bar had also been removed). Her head was resting sleepily in the cavity of her folded arms. Miroku was sitting in a big chair, Sango in his lap, and they were both far asleep. Even Sesshomaru was starting to nod off. But suddenly, a soft moan resonated in the silence of the room...

Sesshomaru's eyes flew wide open, any idea of sleep erased from his mind. Kagome raised her head so quickly that it almost made her dizzy. Miroku jumped and abruptly woke up. Sango did the same and almost fell from her boyfriend's lap, but he caught her in time. Then all gazes focused on the seemingly asleep hanyou...

Inu-Yasha groaned again, fighting to wake up. He moved his head to the right, then to the left. His ears twitched, his eyelids trembled. He weakly raised his left arm and held his forehead with his hand. Then he let his arm fall back, not having the strength to keep it up. He took a shaky breath and slowly, very slowly, he opened his eyes...

They held their breath, unable to speak, their emotions choking them. All they could do was stare, not yet able to believe it.

There it was, what they all wanted to see. What they had prayed for, their greatest wish... All that waiting, just for that sight... The most beautiful sight in the world... All of that and more, just for the relief of seeing those sleepy, confused, gorgeous golden eyes.

And under that golden gaze, they finally came back to life.

* * *

**A/N : I told you you woudn't wait long for the next chapter ! So, Inu-Yasha has woke up. Are you happy ? Come on, I know you are ! OK, now I'll answer to those who sent me reviews... Oh and by the way, thank you for it !**

**Sesshomaru'sHOT : **Yes I know that usually Sesshomaru would be very pleased by Inu-Yasha's misery, but not in my fics. I rather when they're in good terms. I'm very sorry if you don't like it that way... Anyway, thank you for your good comments, and don't worry I never make Inu-Yasha die, or if I do I revive him later (I don't like it either when he dies !). I hope you liked this new chapter, as you can see everyone was there at our hanyou's reawakening (Kagome too, of course) ! Review again if you can !

**KawaiiInuyasha14841 : **Inu-Yasha has woke up ! Yeah ! I'm sure you're happy ! Don't miss the next chapter ! (I like his little puppy ears too, they're so cute !) Thank you for reviewing !

**xXYumi-InuhanyouXx : **Thank you so much for your good comments ! Next chapter will also come soon.

**Sadistic Masochist : **Thanks a lot ! It's good to hear ! Don't worry I update quickly.

**DawnLove : **Wow, don't compliment me so much ! _(Blushing madly...)_ But it's good to know that you like my work ! Next chapter very soon ! Review again !

**rena555 : **Thanks ! I know it's a bit sad...

**sesshy-inu luver : **I'm glad to see you like my fic so much ! Don't worry though, I always update quickly (I know it's awful to wait !).

**DarkInuHanyou : **Liked the new chapter ? Others will follow soon, so don't get upset ! And thanks A LOT for loving my story this much ! Send me more reviews !

**Kyokorain : **I always update soon ! Thanks for reviewing! I really appreciated !

**wind shrine preistess : **See Inu woke up ! Thanks for your review ! See ya at the next chapter !

**Sadistic Memory : **Thank you for saying my english isn't so bad ! I'm trying hard ! And see, I have more reviews now, but it was nice of you to worry about me ! I would've continued anyway... I love writing fanfictions ! Well, thanks for reviewing and I hope you'll do it again !

* * *


	9. Welcome back

**Author's note: **Hi! Thank you so much for your reviews ! I can't even answer it all now, there's too much and I'm kinda busy... So I'll just say a BIG thanks to all of you, and maybe I'll try to answer some of the reviewsin the next chapter, OK ? Right now, here's chapter eight... Enjoy it !

**

* * *

****Chapter eight : Welcome back**

**Inu-Yasha's POV**

For all he could remember, he had never slept so deeply in his whole life. There was no dreams, just a black empty world where evrything was calm and silent. He hadn't realized it at first, but now his consciousness was kicking in, and he became aware of his strange surroundings. It was a very weird feeling indeed... He could say he was sleeping, but for some reason he couldn't wake up. He was troubled... When you sleep, you're not suppose to be able to tell yourself : _«I'm sleeping»_. Wasn't that right ? But Inu-Yasha could do just that. And it was just... weird.

Well, now he wanted to wake up. So he tried... Wait, you're not suppose to **try** to wake up. It's automatic. So why was he forced to struggle like that just to open his eyes ? Something was definitely not right... He heard a moan. It seemed very close. Wait just a minute... it was **his **voice ! **He **had just moaned. And he could hear it... So, he was awake ! Or was he ? Then why was everything still black ?

Then he saw it : a light, probably coming from outside and whatever place he was in. It was glowing through his eyelids in a reddish shade, and it was giving him one Hell of a headache ! And then he noticed... that his senses were back, all of them : he could hear every noises, smell every scents, he could even feel that he was lying on some kind of mattress. A bed, maybe ? He could also say that there was other people around him, but he pushed that information aside for the moment. His first priority was to wake up... All he had to do was open his eyes.

Who would've thought that moving your eyelids could be so damn diffucult ? He turned his head once, than twice. Bad idea. He felt the pulsing in his head grow worst, like if someone was playing drum on his temples. He slowly raised his left arm and held his forehead in the palm of his hand. It didn't help, and his arm immediately fell back. Why was he feeling so weak ? No kidding, JELL-O was probably more solid than him right now ! He didn't like that. It made him nervous... He was too vulnerable...

He tried to calm down. No need to panick. If someone had wanted to hurt him, they would've done it by now... He relaxed and took a deep but shaky breath. He needed to concentrate. He gathered all of his strengths (which wasn't much) and focused it on one thing : opening his eyes.

It worked. Slowly, his eyelids finally separated. For a second, he saw nothing... Fear seized him : had he gone blind ? But suddenly, light attacked his pupils. Surprised, he blinked a few times, trying to get use to it... and to forget the throbbing in his head. His vision was blurry, and it took some time before he was able to ajust it.

The first thing he saw was the ceiling. White. Then the walls. Also white. But it was dark in the room. Actually, there was only a dim light coming from his left. How could a faint light like that have hurt his eyes so much ?

- Inu-Yasha ? a soft voice suddenly said.

That... was Kagome's voice ! He quickly lowered his gaze. And he saw them ; Kagome, Sango, Miroku and even Sesshomaru were all gathered around his bed... yeah, that was indeed a bed he was in... and they were staring at him with a strange expression on their faces. Inu-Yasha didn't like to be stared at. It was making him blush... And this time was no exception. He felt a bit stupid. Normally, he would've told them to stop, but something was telling him that they had a good reasons for staring. So he shut his mouth. But then Kagome asked again :

- Inu-Yasha ?

Yeah, that was his name, what about it ? He wasn't deaf. He had heard her the first time. _"But you didn't answer" _said a clever voice in his mind. _"Oh yeah, I forgot" _he thought back. Jeez he was slow-minded today ! Was it because of his headache or because his body (and so as his mouth) was feeling like JELL-O ? Anyway, now he had to answer Kagome. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse and low due to its lack of use :

- Ka... gome...

His mouth was as dry as the Sahara. Maybe even more. What he would give for a glass of water right now ! He started to wonder **why** he was feeling so sore and weak. It sure wasn't normal. But he was interrupted in his reflexions when he suddenly heard a sob. He looked back at Kagome... She was crying. Oh great, what had he done this time ? He hated to see her cry...

But then he heard another sob... and it wasn't Kagome. He looked at Sango ; she was crying too. Miroku's lower lip was trembling and his eyes were glittering with unshed tears. Damn, even Sesshomaru looked just about to go for it ! What the Hell was going on ?

_"Maybe I'm still sleeping after all..."_ Inu-Yasha tought, more than a little confused.

* * *

**No one's POV**

Kagome didn't know it was possible to be so happy. So happy that it hurt... So happy that she wanted to cry all the tears in her body and then some more... So happy that she wanted to laugh and sing and dance all at the time ! Although she wasn't sure about dancing, because her legs would probably not be able to support her. Thanks God she was already in sitting position !

She kept staring at Inu-Yasha, not yet believing what her eyes were showing her. But it was true : Inu-Yasha was awake, he had spoken to her, he was really OK !... More tears rolled down her cheeks. She took his hand and crossed her fingers with his. She gave him a bright smile of pure happiness and, benting down, she kissed him lightly on the mouth. Then she whispered softly :

- Welcome back my love...

Inu-Yasha didn't know what he had done to deserve all these attentions, but he sure wasn't complaining about it ! He smiled back to her and squeezed her hand. He decided not to speak, it was hurting his throat. But Kagome understood. She always did.

Miroku and Sango approached the bed as close as they could, never letting their sight away from Inu-Yasha's face. Sango was so overwhelmed by her emotions that she couldn't find her voice. So she just smiled at her friend through her tears and gently took his free hand. As for Miroku, his heartbeats were going so fast that he couldn't even count them anymore.

- You took all your sweet time, you big meanie ! he said to Inu-Yasha.

But his warm tone and his joyful smile were denying the harshness of his words. The hanyou raised a brow, a bit lost. What did Miroku mean by that ? He had not the slightest idea...

All caught up they were in the moment, they didn't notice that Sesshomaru had got up, a strange expression dancing on his features. Kagome was the first to remark him, standing still beside the bed and staring at his younger brother like if he could make him move with pure force of will. Kagome then looked at his face and she understood. Turning to her friends, she beckoned them to back off a little. They gave her a questionning look. She glanced back at Sesshomaru. Miroku and Sango followed her gaze and quickly saw what she meant.

They took a few steps back and waited. Kagome gave her boyfriend a small kiss on the cheek, then she released his hand and moved away too. Like if he had waited only for that, Sesshomaru stepped forward and took her place beside the bed. He looked Inu-Yasha right in the eyes ; golden met golden. For a moment, no one said nothing, curious to see what would happen next.

- Sessh ?... Inu-Yasha finally said weakly after a few minutes of silence.

Then Sesshomaru did the last thing they expected him to do : he bent down, passed his arms around his brother's shoulders and pulled him to his chest. He hugged him tightly, not even paying attention to the tubes on Inu-Yasha's arms, he hugged him like if his life depended on it. The hanyou was so shocked that he couldn't think properly. Was Sesshomaru really... hugging him ? It was kind of great...

The older demon was trying hard to suppress the wave of emotions that was washing over him like a tsunami. He tightened his embrace and breathed Inu-Yasha's scent to convince his cloudy mind that his brother was truly OK.

- You little fool ! he whispered, never loosening his hold. Don't ever do something like that again !

He wanted to sound angry but his voice was trembling. He lowered his head so that his bangs were hiding his face. Tears were forming in his eyes and he didn't want anyone to see it.

Inu-Yasha frowned for a second. What was everybody talking about ? What had happened to him ? He wanted to know ! Like to answer his silent question, something clicked in his mind and a flow of images suddenly poured into his head...

He dropped his wallet... Must go get it... The red car... The collision... The pain... The fear... And then all went black...

Inu-Yasha started shivering. He didn't notice, but Sesshomaru sure did. He looked down at his little brother and saw that he was crying softly. The hanyou raised his hands and gripped his shirt, his quiet tears quickly turning into painful sobs. _"He just remembered !" _Sesshomaru thought. _"I... I made him remember..."_ Great, now he was feeling guilty...

Sesshomaru stroke his brother's hair, trying to sooth him. When the others realized what was going on, they came closer and tried to calm Inu-Yasha too. But something was wrong : the hanyou wouldn't stop. He was becoming more and more panicked and didn't seem to hear them. Sesshomaru could smell it in his brother's scent and hear his furious heartbeats, much too fast for his health. He was getting worried, that whole thing couldn't be good. Still holding Inu-Yasha, he ordered :

- Someone press that button and call the doctor ! Now !

* * *


	10. Explanations

**Author's note : Here's another chapter ! And again, thank you so much for your reviews ! As I said before, I can't answer them all because there's too much now, but I'll answer some of them below...**

**Sesshomaru'sHOT : **First let me tell you that yes, I'll be writing an epilogue that shows the gang at school ! As for the thing with the New Moon, don't worry I know about it, but I didn't mention it because in this story it doesn't really affect anything. You see what I mean ? Inu does change back, but for this fic it wasn't really that important, so I passed it. I hope no offense is taken...

**sexxiBaybi : **Isn't suspense great ? (Just kidding) Well if you wanna see what happens to Inu just read this chapter. You'll see that it's not as bad as it seems... Oh, and thanks for your review !

**SquirtlezGurl07 : **Don't panic, don't panic ! I won't make Inu die, promise ! I never kill him, or if I do then I revive him later. But in this fic he is _not_ gonna die. (I don't like it when he dies either !) Just see by yourself, and thanks for reviewing !

**Chi-Chi-Midnight-Hanyou : **Don't shoot me please ! I won't kill Inu and I had no intentions to do so. Sorry if I worried you, but story must have some suspense, don't you think ? Anyway just read this chapter and you'll see !

**I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone I didn't mention. I read your reviews like the others and I liked it a lot ! Thanks for your good comments !**

* * *

**Chapter nine : Explanations**

**No one's POV**

Kaede removed her stethoscope from her ears and put it aside. She made some extra little check-ups on Inu-Yasha, then she turned to the four persons standing behind her. They wore worried expressions and were as stiff as the coat stand in the left corner of the room.

- So ? Miroku simply asked.

They all waited for the answer. To say that they were anxious would be an understatement... All that stress in just one day would definitely not be good for their metabolisms...

* * *

By the time Kaede had arrived in the room, Inu-Yasha was shaking violently, sobbing like if he was trapped in some sort of nightmare. They had been trying to sooth him, but nothing had worked. They didn't know what was going on.

To Kaede though, it had seemed pretty obvious. As soon as she had seen Inu-Yasha, she had walked to him hurriedly, a concerned look on her face. Kagome had stepped back to give her space and Sesshomaru was about to release his brother, when suddenly Kaede had told him :

- No, don't let go. Stay like that. It's helping, believe me.

Obeying her, Sesshomaru had tightened his hold even more. The old woman had approached them and put her hand on Inu-Yasha's forehead. Then she had taken something out of her white coat's pocket : a syringe. It was ready, there was a bluish liquid in it. Speaking softly to the hanyou, she had given him a shot in his right arm...

- It's OK Inu-Yasha, she was saying. Calm down... Everything will be just fine...

After a few seconds, the hanyou's shiverings had stopped and he had fallen into a deep slumber.

- Alright, you can lay him down now, Kaede had told Sesshomaru.

Reluctantly, he had released his little brother and moved back to standbeside the other three.

Now, they were waiting for Kaede's verdict as she examined Inu-Yasha. When she finally turned to them Miroku asked :

- So ?

* * *

Kaede smiled and answered :

- There is no need to worry, it's nothing bad. Inu-Yasha just had a post-traumatic shock. It happens very often. Usually it's right after an accident, but since Inu-Yasha fell in a coma after his, he never really had the time to be shocked. He just remembered it all a moment ago, that's why it happened then.

- So... Kagome asked hesitantly, does that mean that he's alright ?

- He'll be, Kaede said. I just gave him some tranquillizer. He'll be fine when he'll wake up.

- Why did you examined him then ? Sesshomaru asked, still a slight bit worried.

- Because it's my job, she answered him in a gentle tone. I just wanted to make sure. He has a slight fever and his body is a little weak since it's lacking solid food, but aside to that everything seems just well.

They let out the breath they didn't know they were holding. Relief... What a wouderful feeling...

Kaede chuckled a little. Before walking out of the room, she gave them her last advice :

- When he wakes up, don't speak about his accident. He'll bring up the subject himself when he's ready. Oh, and you better get some water because he'll surely ask for some. Well... I think that's all. I'll come take a look later.

And with that, she left.

* * *

About an hour later, Inu-Yasha woke up, a lot more easily this time. He looked calm and serene now, though still a bit confused. Noticing it, Sesshomaru asked :

- Inu-Yasha, are you feeling alright ?

The hanyou nodded, then tried to sit down in his bed. It soon became apparent that he was too weak to do so himself. Sesshomaru immediately rose and went to help him, arranging his pillows comfortably and making sure that his back was well supported. Inu-Yasha sniffed the air for a couple of times. He smelled water. Oh God, his realm for a glass of water !

He cleared his throat and tried to swallow, but it seemed like there was no more saliva left in his mouth. Giving up, he asked hoarsely :

- Water ?...

Kagome was suddenly at his side with a glass full of his greatest desire. She gave it to him with a smile. He took it and smiled back. He wanted to engulf the water all at once, but something told him that it would hurt if he'd do that, so he just took little sips, enjoying the feeling of fresh liquid sliding down his throat. Really... this was Heaven...

When he was done, Kagome took the glass and put it on the bedside table.

- Thank you... Inu-Yasha said.

He could speak properly now, though not very loud. He was feeling a bit weak...

- You're welcome, Kagome answered him. Do you want something else ?

- Yeah, something like a painkiller... the hanyou joked.

Sesshomaru was instantly on his feet, glaring at him. There was worry in his voice when he said :

- You said you were feeling OK !

Inu-Yasha held his hands defensively in front of him and said :

- I am, Sessh... I was just joking... What I meant was that I'd like to have an aspirin... You know, for my headache...

Sesshomaru just glared before sitting down and mumbling something under his breath. Inu-Yasha was a bit lost... Was his brother angry at him ? But why ? It had just been a silly joke. Sure he wasn't angry at him for **that** ?

He looked up at Kagome but she just gave him a sad smile. He turned to Mitoku and Sango, who just shrugged. Then he went back to his brother who was still sitting with his head bowed, refusing to look at him. The hanyou tried his luck and asked :

- Sesshomaru ?

The dog demon barely glanced at him. Inu-Yasha noticed that he looked sad and tired. It was more than unusual for his older sibling. _" Is it my fault ?" _Inu-Yasha asked himself. _"Did I... say something bad that I can't remember ?"_ What else could it be ? But for some reason, he didn't want to fight with Sesshomaru right now. He didn't want to argue or bicker with him. Not today. He almost wished that Sesshomaru would hug him like earlier, even if it had been embarrassing... It had felt great nonetheless... Like he just **needed** that hug...

His heart clenched a little. He had cried. He could recall that perfectly. He had cried like a baby... He knew it was pathetic to cry, but when he had seen those images in his head... So clearly, like if it was happening again... Something in his mind had just snapped. And he couldn't remember anything after that.

Was it because of that Sesshomaru was angry at him ? Because he had cried ? Because he had been weak ?

- I'm sorry, Sessh...

His voice was kind of broken when he said that. And to his own shame, he felt like crying again...

Sesshomaru quickly raised his head at the tone of his brother's voice. Then what he had said registered in his mind... Anger flared in his heart, but it wasn't against his brother... It was against himself.

- **You're** sorry ? he almost yelled.

Inu-Yasha flinched but Sesshomaru pursued :

- **You're **sorry ? he repeated. And why would you be ? You're not suppose to tell me that ! (He rose and went to sit on the bed beside Inu-Yasha, looking at him straight in the eyes) Never say that again ! There's no reasons why you should be sorry ! You've done nothing wrong ! It was I...

Completely ignoring the other people in the room, he pulled his startled brother into a hug again, whispering softly :

- It was my fault... I should be the one to be sorry... Forgive me little brother...

For a moment, Inu-Yasha didn't know what to do. Then he decided that hugging his brother back was a good idea. It's not that he was forgiving him or anything, because there was nothing to forgive at the first place. But he would tell him that later. It was weird, but it felt like his big brother needed a hug just as much as him right now... So he gave him one.

Kagome and the others looked away, feeling like they were seeing something they **weren't** suppose to see.

Finally, the two brothers parted, embarrassment clearly visible on their features. They had just remembered that they weren't alone in the room... Wishing to change the subject, Inu-Yasha said the first thing that went through hi mind :

- How long have I been asleep ?

That surprised the others has much as himself. But now that he thought of it... it **was** bothering him. He looked at his friends. Nobody answered. They seemed... uneasy. Inu-Yasha explained a bit more :

- I was just wondering, you know ? I mean, I **am** in an hospital after all. For me to come here, it must mean that I was seriously injured, and that I've been out for a while. I just wanted to know how long.

They were all looking at the floor now, even Sesshomaru. Finally, Kagome whispered something. It was so low that even with his keen hearing Inu-Yasha missed it.

- What ? he asked.

- A... about ten months... she said a bit louder.

The hanyou froze. A weird smile appeared on his lips as he retorted :

- You're kidding right ?

Kagome finally looked up at him and answered in a perfect serious and truthful tone :

- No Inu-Yasha. I'm not kidding. You... you've been in a coma since ten months.

* * *

**A/N : Don't miss the next chapter ! You will learn about the guy who hit Inu with his car and where he is now ! Bet you don't like him very much even if you still don't know who it is... **

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	11. IMPORTANT

**AN : Hi it's me again ! Now, you HAVE to read this because it's important...**

You surely noticed that I haven't updated for a while. Don't worry, I haven't anbandoned my story ! The problem is that my computer decided to turn crazy and I can't do anything with it ! (stupid machines...) Even to send this little note I had to go on another computer ! Grrrrr...

Anyway, I'm REALY sorry and as soon as my damn computer is back to normal I'll send a whole lot of new chapters ! Please stay with me dear readers ! I promise I'll make it up to ya...

Well that's all for now. Take care of yourselves ! See you soon ! ☺

_•Cherry fantasy •_ ♥


	12. Settling down again

**A/N : First of all, I'm SORRY for not updating in such a long period of time ! Please don't kill me yet and let me explain ! (dodges rocks and sharp knives) You see, the reason of my long absence (for those who don't already know) was that my computer had decided to go crazy on me and there was almost nothing I could do with it ! Damn these machines ! (kicks computer) Anyway, that's why I couldn't update. Please will you forgive me ? (makes a cute puppy-pout) **

**Anyway, enough of that. Now my computer is working again and here's a new chapter to prove it ! And I assure you that the others will follow soon after ! **

**I also wanted to thank everyone who sent reviews. A BIG thank you to you all ! **

**Well now, on with the fic !**

* * *

**Chapter ten : Settling down again**

**Inu-Yasha's POV**

Inu-Yasha looked at Kagome like she was crazy. Ten months ? No, that couldn't be right... But Kagome wasn't lying. He could smell it, and... feel it. So, he had been in a coma... for TEN MONTHS !

- Oh shit ! he suddenly exclaimed, falling back on his pillows.

He was definitely not prepared for that... Hell... Ten months ! It was almost a year ! And he had been out all this time ?...

He felt his headache return full speed as he slowly covered his eyes with his hand. A moan escaped his lips at the throbbing pain in his skull. Suddenly, everything was too much for him ; there was too much light, too much noise, too much emotions in the other's scents, too much thoughts running through his blurry mind... too much questions that needed answers... Damn, he had just lost ten months of his life ! Just like that, vanished in thin air ! What had he missed ? What had happened during that time ? How had everybody been ?

Inu-Yasha felt so distressed at that precise moment. So... lost. Disorientated. Come on, how would _you_ feel if you'd wake up only to learn that you had been asleep for ten months ? It's not exactly a little nap !

- Inu-Yasha, are you Ok ? Kagome suddenly asked him.

He could hear the concern in her voice. Hesitantly, he uncovered his eyes and looked at her ; she was staring at him with worry and love, and it reassured him somewhat. The others seemed worried too, especially Sesshomaru. Inu-Yasha forced a smile on his lips and said :

- I'm fine. I just have the King of all headaches !

Kagome smiled at him, and he smiled back. Ah, sweet Kagome... How he loved her... Then Sango, who had somehow managed to regain her composure, told him softly :

- I'll go ask a nurse if they can give you something. This is a hospital, after all ! Bite me if they can't even relieve a simple headache !

Inu-Yasha chuckled a little and said :

- Good idea, Sango. Thank you.

She smiled, kissed a blushing Miroku on the cheek and exited the room. A strange silence fell upon them after she left. No one really knew what to say. And Inu-Yasha didn't know what to ask. His eyes wandered around the room, taking in his surroundings. It was kind of funny : he had passed ten months in this room, but to him it was as if he was here for the first time. It was the weirdest feeling ever...

Then his gaze fell on Sesshomaru's hand, which was still holding his. Inu-Yasha hadn't even noticed that his brother hadn't let go. He had been way to confused... But now, he realized that he didn't _want_ Sesshomaru to let go. Having him there, holding his hand, was making him feel... safe. Usually, he would've rejected such feelings. But right now, he just wanted to make sure that this feeling wasn't going away anytime soon.

He tightened his grip on his older brother's hand, and raised his gaze to meet his. Golden eyes stared back into his own. Inu-Yasha never thought he would live to see such a soft expression on Sesshomaru's face, or such warmth in his golden irises. He wasn't smiling, but he was so close to it... And then, just there, Inu-Yasha realized how much his brother cared for him. Oh he had always known that Sesshomaru cared, after all he had done for him through the years... But... how to say ?... He just hadn't stopped to really think about it. It was... a given, you see ? It was just like that, and no questions were needed. Or so he had thought...

Now it was all dawning on him. What would he have done without Sesshomaru ? Where would he be now if his big brother hadn't been there for him ? In deep trouble, that was the answer. He was so young when their parents had died, he would've never made it through so well if it wasn't for Sesshomaru being there to reassure him. And all those times at the orphanage, when all those people wanted to adopt his older sibling because he was so smart, so good-looking, so perfect... All those times Sesshomaru had said no, not if they weren't willing to adopt his little brother as well. All those chances he had missed, just for him... And then later, when their adoptive father had died and that Sesshomaru had signed to be his tutor, taking every responsibilities upon his own shoulders... protecting him... like he had always done... Inu-yasha couldn't even begin to imagine what sacrifices Sesshomaru had probably made to keep him. It didn't look like it, with how successful he was today, but Inu-Yasha knew better.

And had Inu-Yasha ever said thank you ? No. Never. How selfish and ignorant could he be ?... He looked up at his brother again. Still that soft expression gracing his features. Still holding his hand. Still there. Always there. Like always, when he needed a calm and strong point to hold on to in his moments of uncertainty, Sesshomaru was there.

- Oh Sessh... Inu-Yasha suddenly whispered, his chest aching.

Sesshomaru frowned, confused at his brother's sudden solemnity, and a little worried too at the sight of his expression that seemed to waver between sadness and happiness. Concerned, he asked :

- What's the matter, Inu-Yasha ? Aren't you feeling well ?

Inu-Yasha just pushed himself up, his headache long forgotten. He passed his arms around his brother's waist and clung to him tightly. They seemed to do a lot of that lately... But who cared ? Certainly not Inu-Yasha. And Sesshomaru either, apparently, seeing as he immediately hugged his brother back. He stroke his younger sibling's hair, waiting for him to speak. Sighing softly, Inu-Yasha simply murmured :

- Thank you, Sessh... thank you so much...

* * *

**Sesshomaru's POV**

Sesshomaru continued to hold his brother, more than a little confused. Was he hearing things, or had Inu-Yasha really just thanked him...? For whatever reason ? From his own opinion, he had done nothing to deserve it. Wasn't it _his_ fault if his brother had fallen into a coma in the first place ? Wasn't he responsible ? Hadn't he failed him ?

Strangely, Inu-Yasha didn't seem to think so. He was still hugging him fiercely, as to make the words he had just said even more meaningful. And to his own surprise, Sesshomaru found himself relaxing, like if an enormous burden had just been taken off his shoulders. He didn't even know what Inu-Yasha was thanking him for exactly, but somehow, hearing those words coming out of his brother's mouth made him feel so much better... so relieved and happy... And there was more : he knew now that Inu-Yasha wasn't holding any grudges at all against him. It was so obvious in his tone of voice, in his actions... He was _happy_ to see him ! Happy to _be_ with him !

Sesshomaru couldn't hold it back this time. Still hugging Inu-Yasha, a content sigh escaping his lips, he smiled...

* * *

**No one's POV**

Miroku and Kagome observed the exchange between the two brothers, not really getting what was going on, but somehow understanding that it was very important and not to be disturbed. So they just stayed silent, giving them time and waiting patiently.

Then, Sesshomaru smiled. A beautiful smile, a true one, warm and caring. Never had they seen him smile like that. They stared dumbfounded as happiness suddenly seemed to radiate from his whole being, any sign of worry and guilt erased from his face as if it had never been there. Right now, Sesshomaru just looked so peaceful, so... alive...

What had brought that on, they didn't know. But it was sure a welcomed change ! And, though they couldn't really explain how, they knew that Inu-Yasha had something to do with it. Somehow, without so much as a few words, he had healed Sesshomaru...

They glanced at each other ; Miroku smiled at Kagome, who smiled back. God it was good to have their hanyou back ! Everything was already starting to get better ! Silently, they thanked every divinities listening for their friend's return.

Suddenly, Sango entered the room with a frown on her face, chasing away the almost religious atmosphere that had settled in. Inu-Yasha and Sesshomaru didn't parted this time. They just looked at her questioningly, so as Kagome and Miroku. Sango walked to the bedside table, ignoring or not caring about the looks, and slammed the small bottle of pills she was holding on it, making everyone flinch.

- I can't believe this hospital ! she finally declared angrily. Three arrogant doctors, five stupid nurses and one angry receptionist, that's what I had to go through just to obtain a simple bottle of Aspirins ! Do they treasure them or something? Is it classed with the "forbidden medical material" ! What the Hell did they think I would do with it ! Start a medicine traffic in the hallway ?

The others sweat-dropped, not daring to interrupt her (not even Sesshomaru) as she continued ranting...

- And to think those people are saving lives ! Well, the idiots I just met weren't really fitting that role ! Have they locked every intelligent beings of this building in a secluded area or what ! This is a hospital for God's sake ! How hard can it be to give Aspirins when one asks for it ! Do we need a "written agreement" for that too? What a joke ! I swear I'm gonna send a complaint to whoever is in charge of this circus !

She took a deep breath and pursued more calmly, though there was still anger in her voice :

- Anyway, after I had to practically _beg_ that witch of a receptionist, she _finally_ gave me what I was asking for. And good for her too, because one more second of her ramblings and I wouldn't have been responsible of my actions !

- Well, thanks Sango... said Inu-Yasha, bravely deciding to step in.

Sango's face immediately softened as she turned her gaze on him, and she answered gently :

- No problem, Inu-Yasha.

- Sorry for the trouble you had to go through, the hanyou added.

- Oh no, it was nothing.

Kagome and Miroku fell back anime style while Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. Nothing ? And all that ranting had been for...?

Inu-Yasha just smiled and took two pills with some water. He was still cradled in his brother's arms and he wasn't planning on moving away anytime soon. Sango didn't ask any questions about it and just went to sit beside Miroku. Kagome approached the bed and sat on it too, taking Inu-Yasha's hand in hers. He smiled to her lovingly.

Another silence passed, but this time it was a comfortable one.

After a moment though, Inu-Yasha sighed and said :

- So... what happened exactly ?

Everybody froze. Nodody answered. It wasn't that they didn't know what he was talking about... It was the total opposite... And _that_ was what scared them... They knew Inu-Yasha would ask that eventually, but they didn't really have any desire to answer... even if they knew they had to...

Inu-Yasha, not yet noticing the pained expressions on their faces because his was still burried in his brother's chest, pursued thoughtfully :

- It's... kind of blurry in my mind... I remember... you, calling my name, and then... this car... a red car, I think... coming toward me, really fast... I didn't know a car could go that fast !... And... well... I _thought_ about moving aside, you know ?... But before I could... there was this pain in my chest... I didn't even know where it was coming from ! It was so weird... It hurt, but I couldn't quite understand _why_... I... I don't think I like this sensation... Anyway, after that, all went black and I can't recall anything from that point.

He finally looked up and was taken aback by what he saw : Kagome was crying softly, staring at the floor, gripping his hand like it was her lifeline. Sango was leaning against Miroku, trembling slightly with her eyes closed, and Miroku himself had a very pained expression on his face. As for Sesshomaru, Inu-Yasha finally noticed how tight his hold had become. He was clinging to him as if afraid to let go, and when the hanyou met his brother's gaze, he saw the golden depths swirling with a mix of fear and sadness.

- Guys...? he asked nervously, a bit frightened by the reaction he was getting.

What had he said ? Why was everyone so sad ? He was alright now, wasn't he ? There was no need to be sad anymore ! So why were they ? Inu-Yasha didn't understand... Confused, he asked again with a very little voice :

- Guys ?

This time, they looked at him. But it's only Kagome who talked :

- We're sorry, Inu-Yasha... It's just that... it hurts... to remember that day... You see, you may not recall it too well, but_ we _do... like if it had just happened... and it hurts... to talk about it...

She stopped, unable to continue. Tears were flowing down her cheeks, as the horrible memories of that day flashed in her mind... She didn't want to see it... didn't want to remember it... Neither of them wanted to...

Inu-Yasha just gave them a pensive look. Somewhere while Kagome was talking, his body had relaxed and a wise sparkle had appeared in his eyes. He understood now... Smiling warmly, he told them with a reassuring tone :

- Well, if it hurts to talk about it, let's not talk about it.

Surprised, they stared at him, a bit stunned. Inu-Yasha's smile widened and he added :

- What importance could it have now, anyway ? It wouldn't change anything. What would it serve to bring it up ?

Still stunned by his reaction, none of them were uttering a word. Inu-Yasha chuckled.

- And stop staring at me like that, you look like fishes !

That said, he bursted out laughing, as their faces took an even more surprised look.

- Ha ha ha ! Priceless ! You should see yourselves right now ! That's hilarious !

They all looked at him, then at each other, then back at him... and finally... a little grin appeared on their lips. They surrounded Inu-Yasha, positioning themselves around the bed and Sesshomaru still holding him. The hanyou was oblivious, too caught he was in his outburst of laughter. When he finally raised his head and saw them, he stopped laughing all at once.

- Hum, guys...? he said nervously. I don't like that look in your eyes...

But before he could do anything, Sesshomaru pushed him down on the bed (but not too harshly, of course) and they all started tickling him mercilessly. After a good ten minutes and many pleas from Inu-Yasha, they stopped, a smug look on their faces. Inu-Yasha glared at them.

- That wasn't very nice, you know ?

- Oh ? And calling us fishes was ? said Sesshomaru.

Inu-Yasha looked thoughtful for a moment.

- Well, not really, I suppose... But you did look like fishes !

They started advancing on him again.

- Ok ! Ok ! I take it back !

Silence. And then... they all started laughing, even Inu-Yasha. They were feeling so much better now. Just so stupidly and simply... happy. But it was so good to feel like that again !

Inu-Yasha stopped first, because there was still at least one thing he needed to know. Seriously, he asked :

- Look guys, there is one thing I want to know. Please.

Freezing, they all waited nervously. Inu-Yasha locked his gaze with theirs and said :

- Who was driving that car ? What's their name ?

They hesitated. Long. Finally, it's Miroku who answered, reluctantly :

- It... it was a man. His name is Naraku.

* * *

**A/N : Ah ah, it was evil Naraku who was driving the car ! Come on, I'm sure you expected it ! Well, I thought about making it Koga, but then again it's Naraku who's the real vilain of the story. And I didn't want to hurt all Koga's fans !**

**Koga's fans : (glare) Yeah, wise decision.**

**Hum... heh heh...yeah well that's about it for now. So did you like it ? I made the chapter long to amend myself a bit... Did it work ?**

**Readers : (frown) A little... But don't think you're out of the woods yet, though !**

**Oh damn... I'm in deep trouble... Anyway, see you in the next chapter !**

**Readers : (grab rocks and knives) Which will come...?**

**Soon, I promise, soon ! (hides from angry readers)**

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	13. So that's what happened !

**A/N : For the love of God can't I update just once without any complications ! Is it that much to ask ?**

**I'm sorry reviewers I know you must be angry at me but I _swear_ I really tried to update ! You see it was my exams period so I thought I would wait after it to update since I had to study and all... When it was over I came home for Christmas vacations, and I'm still here by the way, but what I didn't know was that my dad's computer didn't have Internet anymore ! It took me _forever_ to find another computer to send my new chapter, since almost everything here is closed for the holidays ! I only live in a small village, it isn't the big city... Well anyway, I finally found one and the result of that is down here... Sorry for the wait, you can flame me if you want I deserve it...**

**Well, aside to that I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and I wish you a happy New Year !**

**OK now, on with the fic.**

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**Chapter eleven : So that's what happened !**

**No one's POV**

After Miroku's revelation, everybody fell silent and turned to Inu-Yasha to see his reaction. The hanyou just gave them a thoughtful look and said :

"Naraku ? That sounds familiar... I could swear I heard his name before..."

"Well there's no surprise there" Sango retorted. "He's just one of the richest and most powerful demon of this country !"

"Really !"

"Yes" Miroku sneaked in. "He practically owns half of it, for crying out loud !"

"Wow..." Inu-Yasha breathed out. "Well I suppose that explains the sportscar !"

He was grinning now, apparently finding this new information very funny. But then Sesshomaru added :

"Although... all of this probably isn't the reason why you've heard of him before"

Inu-Yasha turned to him and asked quizzically :

"Why's that ?"

"It's simple" Sesshomaru answered softly. "Naraku happens to be my boss"

"What !"

"You've heard me. You know that I'm the vice-president of this Security firm I work in. Well, Naraku is the president, or at least he was... I'm must've mentioned him a couple of times at home so that's probably when you heard his name"

"Damn..." Inu-Yasha said, totally stunned. "That's big... And yeah, now that I think of it, I remember hearing you say his name every so often... But hey, wait a minute ! Did you just say that he _was_ your boss ? Is he not anymore ?"

Sesshomaru almost smirked and answered :

"Well it's pretty hard to run a company from jail"

"Jail !" Inu-Yasha exclamed.

"Yes" Kagome stepped in. "Not long after your... accident, Naraku was brought in court. Nine weeks later they sentenced him to life imprisonment, and they gave him the biggest fine I've ever heard of !"

"Are you serious !" the hanyou asked in complete bewilderment. "All that just for a car accident !"

"In fact, no" Sesshomaru told him. "That accident was simply the trigger. You see, after Naraku hit you, they brought him to the police station. There were several charges on him, like of course the speed at which he had been driving or the fact that he didn't have the car's papers with him. I must say that this carelessness surprised me of him. I guess he was just having a bad day... But anyway, the police officers went as far as to keep him in a cell for the night, despite of his name and reputation. Naraku of course called his lawyers to get him out of trouble without any bad consequences. After all, no matter how rich and powerful he was, he _had _just hit someone with his car and it was also obvious that he was the one at fault. It wasn't the first time something like that was happening to him and normally, he would've gotten out of this situation without any repercussions"

Sesshomaru stopped for a moment. Inu-Yasha, now eager to know the rest of the story, urged him :

"So ? What stopped him to do the same that time ? Who brought him in court ? And why was his sentence so drastic ? It makes no sense !"

"Slow down, little brother" Sesshomaru ordered, however there wasn't any trace of anger in his voice. "Everything that happened makes perfect sense. Just be patient and let me explain"

Inu-Yasha didn't seem pleased by this, but he nodded and waited for him to continue.

"So, as I was saying" Sesshomaru resumed, "normally Naraku would've been out of the police station by morning, back at his mansion and nobody would've ever heard of his implication in your accident the day before. But then it didn't exactly came out this way... You see, Naraku always took great care of his image, making sure to keep it respected and honorable. For a man in his position, it's not just good, it's essential. He was doing a wonderful job so far and was very proud of it. But really, Naraku is all but honorable. In fact, he has many dirty secrets. And I happened to know them"

It's then that Inu-Yasha understood. He looked up at his brother and said :

"It's you ! You brought him in court !"

"I did" Sesshomaru simply answered. "From the first time I met him I knew there was something dangerous in him. His soft voice and pretty words never fooled me and I couldn't bring myself to trust him. I think he never trusted me either, but of course neither of us showed it. There was also the fact that I had absolutly no proof against him. I'll admit that I've never in my whole life met a man this good at hiding and lying. I tried my hardest but I couldn't find the slightest trace of evidence. Finally I just decided to keep a low profile and observe him for a while. I got promoted several times and eventually became vice-president of the firm. It was as close to him as I could be, and from then on everything was a lot easier. I had acquired more experience and better means, as well as some juicy details about Naraku. But it still wasn't enough to bring him down, so I hired some trustworthy people to follow him and investigate on him. There was a time when he seemed to suspect me but I got away with using one of his favorite tactics : bluffing. When some of Naraku's own minions came to me later, asking for help and ready to tell everything they knew, my work was finally done. I could crush him and I had every intention of doing so. All I was waiting for was the perfect time and place"

"Which came to be the day of my accident" Inu-Yasha stated.

"Yes. In truth it wasn't meant to be so soon but... after what he did that day, there was no way I was going to wait any longer"

Inu-Yasha lowered his eyes shyly, which was rather out of character for him. Nervously fidgeting with the sheets of his hospital bed, he said hesitantly :

"So... you did it... kind of... to avenge me ?"

All eyes, except Inu-Yasha's, focused on Sesshomaru, but he just answered softly :

"Yes"

He was a bit tense, as if waiting for Inu-Yasha to snap at him. The hanyou just raised his head to meet his brother's gaze. He smiled warmly, and Sesshomaru obviously relaxed at the sight. Then Inu-Yasha told him :

"That's nice... thanks a lot, Sessh. I... I appreciate"

Sesshomaru stayed silent, but his eyes softened and he gently took his brother's hand.

After a few seconds of silence, Inu-Yasha cleared his throat and asked :

"So... what did you find out on Naraku that was so compromising ?"

Sesshomaru smirked and answered :

"A lot of things. I myself couldn't believe it when I found out the whole truth ; robbery, fraud, money laundering, rape, murder, kidnaping, blackmail, several minor infractions... Seriously, there's not a crime Naraku hasn't commited. I think he tried them all and then some more just for fun. On top of that, he was the head of the largest criminal organisation in this country. It's a pure miracle he wasn't caught sooner... or perhaps it's due to his own intelligence. No matter how bad Naraku was, he was still smart and his cover was practically perfect. Even I have to admit that he is a genius, but unfortunately for him... so am I"

"Well I won't argue with you on that, anyway not yet !" Inu-Yasha said, grinning. (he took a more serious tone) "So, you just went and told all of that to the authorities ?"

"I did, with proofs and witnesses. With all the information I had gathered, there was no way he could've convinced the court of his innocence, although he tried. I, personally, am ready to give him the credit he deserves. However, I will _not_ under any circumstances forgive him for what he did to you. Would've it been only me, he would be dead by now"

Kagome and the others squirmed nervously, but Inu-Yasha just rolled his eyes. He knew his brother had a good control of himself, but getting on his bad side was more than a bit risky. He was a powerful demon and, Inu-Yasha knew it now, he could become quite violent if anyone was to hurt his little brother. Smirking, Inu-Yasha told him :

"Cool down Sessh, or they'll throw you in jail too !"

"I'd like to see them try" his older sibling retorted.

"I'd like it too" Inu-Yasha added, grinning evilly. "I'm sure it would be worth the show !"

Sesshomaru growled but there was a smile dancing on his lips. Inu-Yasha smiled at him a bit weakly. He was starting to feel tired. He almost groaned of frustration ; how for the love of God could he be tired after sleeping for ten months ! It was a wonder, really...

Trying not to yawn, he asked softly :

"So that's what happened ?"

"Yes" Miroku intervened. "Naraku is in a highly garded jail now and there's no way he's coming out. His organisation has been dissolved and more of his minions are caught and arrested every day. Sesshomaru also took his place as the president of the Security firm. All in all, I don't think we'll be hearing of him anytime soon"

"Good thing too !" Kagome said.

Everyone agreed with her. Suddenly, Inu-Yasha fell back on his pillows and started laughing.

"Inu-Yasha, what's so funny ?" asked Sango, a bit confused.

"Come on, think about it !" Inu-Yasha told them. "Of all the people who could've been hit by a car, it happened to me. And of all the people who could've hit me, it had to be the number one criminal of all Japan, who also happens to be my brother's boss ! And the same criminal finally got arrested by my said brother because of what he did to me ! It does deserve a good laugh !"

They smiled a little, and Miroku said :

"Yeah, I guess you're right. It's quite an adventure"

"You can say that again" Inu-Yasha said sleepily. "Those kind of things only happen to me... keh... I must be special or something..."

Kagome smiled lovingly and took his hand. Then she told him softly :

"You are very special Inu-Yasha. To me and to a lot of people"

The hanyou blushed, but smiled back. Then he asked :

"Well anyway, when am I getting out of here ?"

"Not now, that's for sure !" Kagome teased after seeing him trying to repress another yawn. "You're barely awake !"

"Nonsense..." Inu-Yasha still protested, however closing his eyes in defeat. "I'm not (yawn) sleepy..."

Kagome laughed and tucked him in his covers like a little kid. Inu-Yasha didn't even try to protest. Benting down, Kagome softly brushed her lips against his... Five minutes later, he was far asleep.

They looked over him tenderly, feeling a bit more protective of him than usual. They _had_ almost lost him forever after all, it coudn't _not_ have any effects on them...

Sesshomaru stroke his brother's hair in the most gentle touch they had ever seen him use, while Kagome and the others just sat around the bed and observed Inu-Yasha serenely. He still looked too much fragile for their own liking, but they knew that it wouldn't last long. He would be back to his old arrogant and energic self in no time, and his hanyou blood would also help him. He had been through a lot, but he was fine now and it was all that mattered. Inu-Yasha was a fighter, he had proved it a lot of times and apparentlty it hadn't changed. They knew it and they weren't afraid anymore. They were confident that from now on everything would be OK.

Just as if he could hear their thoughts, Inu-Yasha smiled in his sleep. They looked at each other and smiled too. Yes, everything was good now. They had their hanyou back and they wouldn't want it any other way.

_o0 End 0o_

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**A/N : So ? Liked it ? Hated it ? Just tell me, I'm very eager to know.**

**Oh and by the way, if you were wondering, yes there _will_ be an epilogue. I'm writing it right now so this isn't really the last chapter. And since I found a computer to use here well it shouldn't be a problem topost it... or so I hope... Seriously, if this keeps on, I'm fairly certain that I won't have a lot of time leftto live... Please have pity on me...**

**Well, see you in the next and last chapter !**

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	14. Epilogue

**A/N : Don't kill me ! Don't kill me ! I beg for mercy !**

**Hum... yeah, so please don't be too mad at me for not having updated for so long. I know I'd promised you an epilogue and yes now it's here but I left you waiting an unforgivable amount of time ! The thing is, I lost the first epiloque I'd started to write (don't ask me how it happened, me and all the computers on this planet are in constant war...), then I started writing another fanfiction, then another one, etc... Right now, if you put "Til you wake up" aside, I'm working on 5 other stories at the time ! **

**Anyway, to be honest as things went by and as I was writing those other fics, I kinda lost interest in this one for a while...It wasn't on purpose, I swear, things like that happen all the time... I'm in no way more immune to it than other people. For what it's worth, I'm REALLY sorry. I'll understand if you flame me for it. Although I don't have to like it... come on, who likes flames anyway ? But I'll understand.**

**Nonetheless, and if we forget about the wait I put you through for a second, could you tell me if you think the epilogue is good ? Be honest, I'd really like to know.**

**Important note: **I'd like to say a HUGE thank you to all of those who've read and reviewed this story. Thanks for bearing with me for so long, someone should give you a medal or something ! I really appreciated your comments, and you taking some time out of your busy schedule to read my fic ! Thank you everyone !

**Once again, I'm very sorry for the wait. But now that the epilogue is finally here...**

**Let's go on with the fic !

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**

**Epilogue**

"I feel like a frickin circus clown !" growled Inu-Yasha while walking through the school's halls with his friends.

"And why is that Inu-Yasha ?" asked Miroku.

"Because everyone is staring and smiling at me like if I had a big _stupid_ red nose on my face !" retorted the hanyou with an angry frown.

Sango laughed and said :

"Don't make such a fuss about it, they're just happy to see you, that's all"

Inu-Yasha grunted and mumbled something under his breath about _"annoying stalkers..."_.

Kagome smiled softly. Inu-Yasha had been allowed to leave the hospital five days ago, to his own relief, after having passed a 'whole endless week' (from Inu-Yasha's own words) under observation. The two first days after his 'liberation' had been rather funny, seeing as Sesshomaru had been acting totally over-protective (and quite out of character) with his little brother, going as far as to take a break from his work and stay at home with him. It had ended when Inu-Yasha had finally snapped and practically kicked his older sibling out of the house, saying that he was _«in perfect shape» _and that Sesshomaru could _«stop acting like a mother hen 24/7 !»_. Of course a heated argument had followed but Sesshomaru had quickly gotten the message and returned to his old self. Nonetheless, the fact remained that the two brothers were now even closer than they'd been before, and that a strong bond had grown between them. Inwardly, Inu-Yasha was feeling very grateful toward Sesshomaru for all he'd ever done for him, while Sesshomaru was thanking all the gods he could think of for giving him back his little brother. To other people it seemed as if their relation was back to what it had always been, but to Kagome and her friends it was obvious that a lot had changed, and for the better.

But back to the matters at hand, it was now Inu-Yasha's first day at school since the accident that had put him in a coma ten months ago, and thanks to Sesshomaru's connections he'd been allowed to come back in the same grade as his friends, despite having missed practically a whole year. After all it wasn't as if it had been intentional, and to compensate Sesshomaru had gotten some teachers to give Inu-Yasha a couple of private courses to help him get back on the same level as his fellow students. Obviously Inu-Yasha hadn't been very pleased by the idea of having more courses added to his regular ones, but it was that or coming back one grade lower... And considering that Inu-Yasha _really_ didn't want to end up with the younger students, and that he wanted to stay with Kagome, Sango and Miroku, he had finally accepted the compromise.

Kagome took another glance toward her boyfriend and couldn't help but smile at his expression ; Inu-Yasha was walking between her and Miroku, holding his books tightly against his chest while a small but very visible blush was colouring his cheeks. It was a well-known fact that the hanyou didn't like to be stared at, as it was always making him blush and according to him that was destroying his _«rebellious and bad-boy image»_. Kagome had to agree with him on the latter : right now, Inu-Yasha looked plainly and simply adorable. But of course she wasn't about to let him know that...

They passed beside another group of students, who (like the twenty or twenty-five other groups they'd passed before) immediately turned their gazes toward them and smiled brightly at Inu-Yasha, waving at him enthusiastically. Inu-Yasha grunted but waved back, offering them the beginning of a smile.

"See ?" he told his friends afterwards. "That's exactly what I meant ! You'd think someone told them I would do all their homework for the month with the way they keep grinning at me !"

"It's like Sango said" Kagome said with a smile. "They're just happy to see you're back and in good health"

"But why ? I've never done anything to please any of them, so why would they care ?"

"Don't be so cynical about it Inu-Yasha" Miroku retorted. "They don't need a reason like that, you know ? Believe it or not, you're quite popular in this school, and there's a lot of people who like you, not just the three of us"

"That's true" confirmed Sango. "You should've seen the place when everyone learned what had happened to you. I'd never seen so much depressed faces here, you would've thought the entire school had suffered a family loss. The only students that weren't acting like that were the ones that had never met you, didn't know you or held a grudge against you. And believe me, that made quite a tiny number... The first week was totally unreal, the classes were so calm and even the teachers didn't seem in the mood to teach. After that it started coming back to normal, but even then it didn't feel quite like before. It was like... I don't know... like something was amiss, like the whole usual atmosphere was forced. Add to that, your absence was recalled more than once, like for example when a teacher forgot to skip your name during the call. If nothing else, that served to silence every last person in the room in less than a second. When that happened, the teacher wouldn't even finish the list and would start class right away, as if ashamed of their little slip. I'd never seen anything like it, really"

"Me neither" pursued Miroku. "And when the news came that you had awakened, the general reaction was just amazing. I can still see Mr. Katagai entering our class first course in the morning and announcing it to the students ; let me tell you that he wasn't able to teach us anything that day, seeing as everybody was talking about you and barely giving him any attention. And you know what ? He didn't even _try_ to stop us or bring us back to order ! In fact he seemed very happy himself, which surprised me since I always ever saw him in a grumpy mood. Anyway, all day your recovery was the only subject of conversation, and I think I haven't crossed one single student who didn't have a big grin on their face. They were also very excited when they learned that you would come back today. I don't know about you Inu-Yasha, but personally I would really be honoured to have so much people caring about me"

The three of them turned to Inu-Yasha to see his reaction about all this, only to realize that he had stopped in the middle of the hallway without a word, a strange expression dancing on his features. He had far away look in his eyes and didn't even glance at them when they walked back to his sides, which worried them a little.

"Inu-Yasha...?" Kagome asked hesitantly.

"I... I didn't know..." he said with a very low voice, before repeating a bit more loudly : "I didn't know..."

It didn't take time for them to understand what he meant, and they quietly smiled at each other. Then Sango put a hand on Inu-Yasha's shoulder and told him softly :

"Well, now you do. Keep it in mind, OK ?"

He looked up at her and nodded, visibly in a lighter mood than he'd been earlier. He smirked slightly at them and resumed his march, the three others fast on his heels. Kagome approached him and took his hand ; he smiled at her and she smiled back before saying :

"And you know, what you said earlier, it wasn't true. You did help a lot more people here than you seem to think, even if it was just small services. And although that isn't the only reason why they like you, it sure proves what a great person you are. Nobody can be insensible to that"

"Feh, nonsense..." Inu-Yasha retorted (although his blush had just reached a darker shade).

They laughed at his embarrassment and Kagome gave him a peck on the cheek, making him blush even more. Some students whistled around them and Inu-Yasha was almost as red as his shirt when he suddenly felt someone pass an arm around his shoulders and tell him :

"Hey dog durt, glad to see you're back on your feet !"

Inu-Yasha freed himself and turned around to face Kouga, a wolf demon that had once been his arch-enemy. The reason for that was that at the beginning, Kouga had been courting Kagome openly just because he knew it would make Inu-Yasha angry and most of all, jealous. But when Kagome had agreed to become Inu-Yasha's girlfriend, Kouga had dropped the matter without further problems. He didn't really mean any harm, he just liked to get under Inu-Yasha's skin. He'd started going out with a wolf demoness named Ayame a few days after, and him and Inu-Yasha had stopped being hostile toward each other. Sure they still had fights and all, but it was nothing serious. Just some bickering between friends.

Inu-Yasha didn't know it, but Kagome, Sango and Miroku did : Kouga had been one of the most affected when he'd learned about Inu-Yasha's accident, he'd even went to see him at the hospital a couple of times. The next day he would come at school with that sad expression on his face, well hidden but not invisible for those who knew how to look. Luckily, Ayame had been there to cheer him up a little.

"What do _you_ want, flea-bag ?" Inu-Yasha asked with an arrogant smirk.

"Just to annoy you, as usual" Kouga answered with a smirk of his own. "I really missed doing that"

Inu-Yasha was about to give him another smart-ass retort when suddenly, he caught something in the wolf's gaze, something he couldn't quite define... All he knew was that it was warm and sincere, a small flicker that told him Kouga really _was_ happy to see him well again, no pun intended. And somehow, it made Inu-Yasha feel... good. He swallowed back his original answer and instead, he fixed Kouga in the eyes and said calmly :

"Yeah... I missed it too"

They stayed silent for a while, then Kagome exclaimed :

"Come on now everybody, we'll be late for our gym class !"

She grabbed Inu-Yasha's hand and dragged him along, the others following close behind.

"Really Kagome, I don't see what's the big rush" the hanyou said, in no hurry whatsoever.

"Oh, you'll change your mind when you get there" Kagome answered with an enigmatic smile.

He raised a brow at her but she pretended not to see it. Inu-Yasha turned to the others but they just gave him the same weird grin, which didn't really help to reassure him. What were they all plotting anyway ?

Finally they reached the gymnasium, at least ten minutes in advance.

"See ? There was no need to hurry" Inu-Yasha said.

"Oh, stop whining and go inside !" Sango told him while giving him a slight push.

Inu-Yasha grumbled but stepped forward, sliding open the shôji door...

"SURPRISE !"

Inu-Yasha did a double take and stumbled backward, a stunned and very comical look on his face. Frozen on the spot, he stared unbelievingly at the dozens of students and teachers gathered in the room. The entire gym was decorated with multi-coloured balloons and garlands, and there were even some tables full of food standing against two of the walls, making the place ready for a party. Then, Inu-Yasha saw it, hanging from the ceiling : a huge yellow banner with red letters that read « WELCOME BACK, INU-YASHA ! ».

But to his astonishment, it wasn't all...

"Close your mouth, little brother, you look ridiculous"

Inu-Yasha turned his head to the left to see Sesshomaru casually leaning against the wall, a little smirk on his lips. The hanyou stared at him dumbly, then at the crowded gym, then at the big yellow banner, then back at his brother again, the stunned look never leaving his face. Sesshomaru's smirk softened into a smile and he walked toward his younger sibling. He stopped right before him and slowly raised his hand, putting one finger under Inu-Yasha's chin and giving it a little push to close the hanyou's mouth. Then he said calmly :

"Really Inu-Yasha, you could make a small effort and try to look presentable at your own party"

Inu-Yasha didn't even took the bait, still too much dumbfounded to make a smart reply. He stared at Sesshomaru then turned toward his friends that were still waiting silently behind him and he asked slowly :

"Did... did you... did you do all that for me ?"

"No" answered Miroku with a smile. "The whole school did that for you. It was a collective decision"

"Yeah, we didn't even have to give them a hint !" added Kouga.

"Now you know that we weren't exaggerating about what we said earlier" Sango said with an amused grin.

Inu-Yasha shook his head, still unable to believe it. He turned back to the bunch of people standing in the gym... Students and teachers alike... Could it be ? Could all those persons really be there... just for him ?

He was even more taken aback when he saw Mr. Asakura, the principal, walk to him with a gentle smile on his face. Inu-Yasha had never been an enemy to the principal and never caused major troubles, but he wasn't a perfect student either. He'd skipped courses and picked fights a couple of times (although surprisingly he'd never been the one to start them), and he was fairly sure that it wasn't the school's idea of a good student. That's why he was more than a little astounded when Mr. Asakura stopped before him and put a hand on his shoulder, before saying in a fatherly tone :

"Glad to have you back among us, Mr. Takahashi. You've been greatly missed"

Inu-Yasha blinked and watched as every gazes fell on him, everyone waiting for his reaction. He stayed silent for a few more seconds, then everything finally started to sink in and he said :

"Well I'll be damned..."

The students all burst out laughing and the teachers rolled their eyes playfully.

"Yep, that's Inu-Yasha for you !" someone exclaimed loudly, causing some more laughter to erupt among the crowd.

Then, a girl from first grade came to Inu-Yasha and gave him a large card that had seemingly been signed by everybody in the school. She smiled at him and said :

"Welcome back, Inu-Yasha"

He smiled back at her, feeling happy and grateful toward each person present. A lot more confident now, he just looked up at everyone, smiled and said :

"Thank you for all of this. I sure didn't see it coming and I really appreciate"

"It was nothing boy" Mr. Asakura answered, voicing everybody's thoughts. "And it was worth the effort"

Then the principal turned around and declared with a smile :

"Well people, no class for today ! We do have something to celebrate !"

Everyone cheered and suddenly some music started to play, officially announcing the beginning of the party. People scattered in the room and started chatting happily, glad to have a free day. Meanwhile, Inu-Yasha turned back to his friends and asked with a grin :

"You knew about this, didn't you ?"

"Of course we did" answered Sango with a matching grin of her own.

"And of course you couldn't tell me in advance and spare me a heart attack ?"

"And spoil the surprise ?" said Kouga. "Now what kind of friends would we make if we'd do that ?"

"Yeah right, you just like seeing me make a fool of myself"

"There's a bit of that too" said Kouga, grinning.

Inu-Yasha snorted but kept on smiling. Then he turned to his brother and asked :

"And what do _you _have to do with all of this ? Aren't you supposed to be working right now ?"

"I'm sure you recall me being the president of the firm, Inu-Yasha" answered Sesshomaru. "I can take a vacation whenever I like. As for your other question... I just helped paying for some of the material. Oh, and for the DJ"

"The DJ ?"

Sesshomaru just pointed at the back of the gym and sure enough, Inu-Yasha spotted a high-tech stereo system with a DJ standing behind it, creating the music he was hearing. The hanyou sighed then smirked at his brother before telling him :

"Jeez Sessh, you really don't do anything halfway !"

Sesshomaru merely smirked and kept silent. Inu-Yasha sniggered than took a cautious look around ; when he saw that no one was presently looking his way except his friends (which was OK, he supposed), he stepped closer to his brother and gave him a quick hug, whispering so that only he would hear :

"Thanks a lot, bro"

Sesshomaru gave him a quick squeeze himself then let go. A small blush appeared on both their cheeks but it was gone before anyone could notice. A moment later Sesshomaru had walked away with the principal, talking about whatever random subject.

The party went by for another couple of hours, other students joining in. The music was very good and the DJ really knew his job well (but since he'd been hired by Sesshomaru it wasn't that much of a surprise). Many came to talk to Inu-Yasha, saying they were glad he was back and asking him questions about his accident. The hanyou personally didn't mind talking about it, but after a while of repeating the same story over and over again, he got a bit annoyed, so he skillfully escaped the gym toward the hallway. He caught a glance of Miroku dancing with Sango and another one of Kouga kissing Ayame in a corner. He smirked at that and then wondered where was Kagome ; he'd lost her an hour ago when one of her friends had showed up and dragged her away to another group of girls.

Inu-Yasha sighed in relief when he succeeded to reach the empty hallway without anybody seeing him. He leaned against the lockers and closed his eyes for a moment, relaxing... He still was amazed that the whole school had put up a party for him, and that even the principal had agreed to give them a free day in order to celebrate it. And although some students were annoying with their questions, Inu-Yasha could see in their eyes that they had sincerely missed him, and it gave him a very pleasant feeling. Miroku was right, it was an honour to be cared about so much and Inu-Yasha felt grateful for it. It sure was a nice way to start your first day back at school !

He felt someone tap him on the shoulder and opened his eyes to see Kagome standing before him.

"Kagome ! Where were you ?"

"With my friend Ayumi and the others" she answered with a smile. "They wanted me to sing so I quickly sneaked away before they could force me to !"

Inu-Yasha laughed then said :

"Well, I sneaked away too. Those people are nice but their questions were starting to drive me crazy !"

"Yeah, I was wondering how long you would last" Kagome said with a little grin.

Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes then asked :

"So, how did you found me ?"

"I couldn't, so I went to ask Sesshomaru and he told me you were hiding in the hallway"

The hanyou grumbled something under his breath, and Kagome thought she caught the words _"stupid prick"_ and _"Sesshomaru"_. She smiled at Inu-Yasha's antics and asked :

"So, what do you think of your party so far ?"

Inu-Yasha raised his eyes to meet hers and said :

"It's great. I still can't believe you people did all that for me. Keh, even the teachers ! I'm... It really makes me happy"

"Good. That was the point of the operation"

Inu-Yasha smiled then passed his arms around Kagome's waist and brought her close to him. Kagome passed her own arms around him too and rested her head against his chest. She sighed contentedly then said :

"Inu-Yasha, I know I've told you that hundreds of times already, but I'm so glad to have you back..."

"I know..." the hanyou whispered gently, tightening his hold.

"I was so afraid you would never wake up... I mean, Miroku and Sango were too... And Sesshomaru as well... But me... I... I was just..."

"It's OK Kagome, I understand" Inu-Yasha interrupted her calmly. "And... I'm very glad you waited for me"

She tilted her head to look up at him. She smiled warmly and whispered :

"I would've waited all my life if needed..."

Inu-Yasha smiled too and closed the space between them, softly brushing his lips against Kagome's. She raised on her tiptoes and kissed him back, slowly passing her arms around his neck...

They were at it for a few minutes when Inu-Yasha's keen hearing suddenly picked up a beautiful slow song beginning to play back in the gym. He moved backward a little and asked Kagome with a loving smile :

"Wanna dance ?"

She smiled too and said :

"You lead the way"

And they went back in the gymnasium holding hands.

_o0 End Epilogue 0o_

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« Hardship can be a bridge to happiness » - japanese proverb

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**A/N : So yeah, I made the epilogue long to amend myself a little... Now the story's really over (sorry !), so no more waiting. That must surely be good news !**

**Anyway, I just _had_ to end it with a sweet Inuyasha/Kagome moment ! I couldn't help myself ! Those are the best endings !**

**So, did you like it ? Please review one last time and tell me ! **

**Thanks again everyone ! Take care !**

**: Cherry fantasy :**

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